Abu Dhabi school pupil wins UAE Young Journalist Award

British International School Abu Dhabi's Matilda Rice is commended for her essay on tolerance

ABU DHABI , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES , Nov 18 – 2019 :- Mina Al Oraibi , Editor in Chief, The National giving certificate to Matilda Elen Rice, 1st  winner of British Embassy Young Journalist Award 2019 during the award giving ceremony held at the residence of British Ambassador on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. ( Pawan Singh / The National )  For News. Story by Nick March
Powered by automated translation

Matilda Rice, a student at British International School Abu Dhabi, won the inaugural UAE Young Journalist Award, a competition run by The National and the UK embassy.

Three finalists, including Matilda, were shortlisted for the prize after pupils aged 16 and above were asked to contribute an opinion piece, using any form of media, on the theme of the Year of Tolerance.

The two runners-up were Mayed Saeed bin Bwayd, 17, a student at Al Ghail School for Boys in Ras Al Khaimah and Alia Naidj, 16, who attends Raffles World Academy in Dubai.

The quality of all the entries was really impressive, making it tough to narrow the field down to the final three

Matilda contributed an opinion piece titled “an enduring paradox”, which discussed how the UAE worked to create a more tolerant society.

Her work was published in The National's Opinion section on Wednesday.

Nick March, an assistant editor-in-chief at The National, was on the judging panel and praised the entrants for developing and maintaining persuasive arguments.

“The quality of all the entries was really impressive, making it tough to narrow the field down to the final three. All of the submissions showed good awareness of societal trends and values, while also demonstrating a strong sense of how to conduct a balanced and engaging discussion,” he said.

The three finalists' work was recognised at an awards ceremony hosted by the UK's deputy ambassador to the UAE Sophia Brecknell and The National's editor-in-chief Mina Al-Oraibi.

“Our finalists came from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah to join us for the awards ceremony. I was lucky to meet them, to celebrate their work and to hear about their ideas for the future," Ms Brecknell said.

"It was inspiring to see their passion and commitment to developing their skills, and to witness how well they are supported and encouraged in the pursuit of their goals by families, teachers and friends."

ABU DHABI , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES , Nov 18 – 2019 :- Left to Right - Sophia Brecknell, Deputy British Ambassador,  Mayed Saeed Abdullah Bin Bawayd (2nd winner), Alia Meas Naidj (3rd winner),  Matilda Elen Rice (1st winner) and Mina Al Oraibi , Editor in Chief, The National during the award ceremony of the British Embassy Young Journalist Award 2019 held at the residence of British Ambassador on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. ( Pawan Singh / The National )  For News. Story by Nick March
Sophia Brecknell, Mayed Saeed bin Bwayd, Alia Naidj, Matilda Rice and Mina Al-Oraibi at the British ambassador's residence. Pawan Singh / The National