Sheikh Mohammed honours Sheikha Al Nuaimi, the Emirati teacher with a 'beautiful spirit'

An Emirati school teacher made famous after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid praised her dedication and “beautiful spirit” on Twitter was given the Prime Ministers Medal on Sunday.

Sheikha Al Nuaimi and her mother were given the medal during the UAE Cabinet meeting, by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, for spreading positive energy and happiness among the school pupils.

“Today I chaired a UAE Cabinet meeting and one of the first clauses is the honouring of Sheikha Al Nuaimi and her mother,” said Sheikh Mohammed on Twitter.

“The social worker at one of Al Ain schools is a great example of how a school could be a warm embrace, a source of positive energy and an educational incubator in which our children are raised. We all saw how she starts the school day with our pupils,” he said.

Ms Al Nuaimi became a social media sensation on Wednesday after Sheikh Mohammed shared heartwarming footage of her greeting smiling children to school with a kiss and a hug.

He called on his 10 million Twitter followers to help him find the woman with a "beautiful spirit" after posting a video of her welcoming the pupils to Al Aailya School in Al Ain.

On Sunday, Sheikh Mohammed shared a video of his exchange with Ms Al Nuaimi and her mother, during the Cabinet meeting.

“I will give you the medal first because you are the one who raised her,” he said to Ms Al Nuaimi’s mother, draping the medal over her head.

The mother thanked Sheikh Mohammed and told him the UAE’s leaders are their role models.

Sheikh Mohammed told them he and the rest of the ministers were uplifted by the video of her greeting the school children.

“For pupils who start their day with positivity and strength, that day will be a beautiful one for them,” said Sheikh Mohammed.

Ms Al Nuaimi thanked Sheikh Mohammed saying the medal was too much for her.

“[The pupils] are our responsibility and our duty to take care of them,” she said. “A kind word is a charity.”

Sheikh Mohammed added: “We are humans and we need the positive spirit to start our morning.”

“Sheikha Al Nuaimi’s positivity, energy, tenderness and the way she treats the UAE pupils as her own children has been gratifying,” said Sheikh Mohammed in another tweet.

“She is a good example not only for our schools but also for all the government institutions.

“We presented her with the Prime Minister’s Medal, an immediate exceptional promotion, and a special thanks during the cabinet meeting,” he said.

Ms Al Nuaimi later posted a video on her Twitter account thanking Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and the country’s “honourable sheikhs”.

She told The National that, though she is not married and has no children, she treats her pupils as if they are her own - which is why they all affectionately call her "Mama Sheikha".

"The greatest honour was seeing Sheikh Mohammed and meeting him in person," Ms Al Nuaimi said on Sunday.

"We learn from our leaders and we follow their footsteps.

"I'm very grateful and thankful for this recognition, it is a moment that I will remember forever," she said.

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