The event was conducted under the patronage of the Minister of Education in UAE, Eng. Hussain Al-Hammadi and Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Assimi, the general director of ABEGS. This year"s "School Excellence Award" was awarded to 84 male and female students from the GCC countries, twelve students from each country, and the Yemen Arab Republic. Hussain Al Hammadi, the Minister of Education in the UAE, expressed his great pleasure in honoring outstanding students from the ABEGS countries through the Award of the bureau for Academic Excellence held under the slogan "Connecting Minds...Making Future". He also congratulated the students who won the Award and extended his gratitude to the teachers and parents who stand behind their success and the excellence they reach in the present and the future. On the other hand, the General Director of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Assimi, had thanked and appreciated the United Arab Emirates for hosting the ceremony, praising the continuous support that the ABEGS received from the leaders of the member states that enabling the ABEGS to carry out the tasks and the responsibilities signed to them. He also mentioned that academic excellence results from a journey of hard work involving various educational process elements, which the bureau realizes and considers. "Our vision in Almarai, which places education and human development at the top of its investment priorities, is consistent with the noble goal of the Academic Excellence Award that cares for young people and supports talented among them. As we believe they are the future leaders and makers of its success," said Abdullah Al-Otaibi, Head of Corporate Communication and Public Relations at Almarai. The Academic Excellence Award, which Almarai has sponsored for fourteen years, aims to enhance excellence and creativity among students in the GCC, develop their abilities and talents, and open the doors of competition for them. Since its launch in 2006, the Award has honored more than 600 students in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to date. — SG