The Ideal Arab Mother and Family Award
Introduction
Sheikh Mohammed established the Ideal Arab Mother Award and the Ideal Arab Family Award as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival calendar in 2000. The theme of the Festival that year was "To Mother With Love".
The awards reward those families who benefit their society and religion through their everyday lives.
Sheikh Mohammed presenting a prize to a distinguished mother
The CompetitionFor both awards, the entrants must be of Arab origin but can reside anywhere in the world. All entrants must compose an essay of less than 5 pages detailing why they deserve to win. Short-listed candidates are interviewed and the judges visit them in their homes.
The Ideal Arab Mother Award is open to women aged 45 or over who are responsible for looking after a family. The winner could, therefore, be an older sister or aunt who has had to raise a family as her own. The judges assess five areas of the candidates' lives:
Psychological - the candidate's personality and approach to lifeSocial interaction - with particular emphasis on her relationship with her neighboursFamily relationships - including her in-lawsEducation - her own as well as her children'sReligion - how she has introduced religious values into her children's livesThe awards are presented at the Dubai Shopping Festival closing ceremony.
Prizes
Sheikh Hamdan honouring an ideal mother from Sudan
The Ideal Arab Mother and the Ideal Arab Family both receive $10,000.Winners
Ideal Arab Mother Award:
2000 - Nahed Ashayji -Kuwait
2001 - Laila Bashar -Sudan
2002 - Mariam Sadeeq -Bahrain
2003 - Sheikha Ibrahim Al Ansari -UAE
2004 - Maryam Ali Abdul Rahman Al Sabbagh -Bahrain
2005 - Fatima Fadhel Al Mazrooi - UAE
Ideal Arab Family Award:
2000 - Dr. Salah Ridah and family -Syria
2001 - Ali Al Mansouri and family -UAE
2002 - Wahab Kareem Mohammed and family -Iraq
2003 - Hassan Mahmoud Al Saeed and family -Egypt
2004 - Abbas Ahmed Jassim Al Khezae -Qatar
2005 - The late Dr. Mohammed Al Bashir - Jordan
