Al Rajaa School for the Deaf in Russeifa District, which is affiliated with the Jordan Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), has won the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2025 in the Global High Schools category for the Middle East region.
The school received the award, according to a JOHUD press statement issued on Tuesday, for its project “The Speaking Eco-School”, which aims to empower the school’s students with hearing disabilities in environmental sustainability and modern agricultural technologies. The project includes rainwater harvesting, re-use of greywater, and e-marketing of products, in addition to integrating arts and hands-on activities, helping to strengthen students’ creativity and environmental awareness.
The Al Rajaa team comprising school principal Hanan Al-Maghribi, student Khalil Al-Jitawi, and student Maryam Rashid—won the prize among teams representing 18 shortlisted high schools in the Global High Schools category. These were selected from 7,761 applications submitted from 173 countries, across six main award categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, and Global High Schools.
Principal Hanan Al-Maghribi said the award reflects the school’s efforts and its vision to enable students with hearing disabilities to play an active role in protecting the environment. She explained that “The Speaking Eco-School” addresses water scarcity and limited environmental awareness by combining smart agriculture, water harvesting, and recycling, while providing learning opportunities in sign language—positioning students as genuine agents of environmental change within their school and community. Al-Maghribi added that, since its establishment, the school—under the patronage and support of HRH Princess Basma bint Talal, Chair of the Board of Trustees of JOHUD—has been committed to instilling values of innovation and environmental creativity, so that the next generation can contribute meaningfully to environmental protection.
For his part, Qais Al-Tarawneh, Director of Public Relations at JOHUD, said the award places inclusive education in Jordan at the heart of contemporary environmental solutions, by enabling students to gain sustainability knowledge and skills, and to design and implement practical solutions that respond to local environmental needs. He added that this national achievement represents global recognition of students’ ability—regardless of language and communication methods—to lead change and shape the future, and reflects the Prize’s capacity to empower innovators worldwide to create tangible impact in their communities.
Founded in 1977, Al Rajaa School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides specialised education for deaf students using modern methods. It is regarded as a leading school nationally and regionally in applying the Total Communication philosophy, which includes sign language, reading lip and facial expressions, as well as speech training and language development.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, honoured the school’s team during the awards ceremony held on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.