Saudi educator known for charity and prisoner work wins $1 million Global Teacher Prize

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Saudi educator known for his charity work and instructing prisoners won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize on Thursday.

Mansour al-Mansour received the award at the end of the World Governments Summit in Dubai, an annual event that draws leaders from across the globe.

Al-Mansour, a teacher at the Prince Saud bin Jalawi School in al-Ahsa, is also an author and is known for work in his community, including a program that helped ensure people had access to air conditioning maintenance during Saudi Arabia's scorching summer months. He also works with orphans and hopes to use the prize to build a school for them.

“People always have pity on orphans, and if they want to help them, they usually do so by giving them food and water only. But there’s little education,” al-Mansour told The Associated Press after receiving the prize from Dubai's crown prince, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. “Through a study, I found that orphans are less educated, so I wanted to pay attention to them.”

The prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation, whose founder, Sunny Varkey, established the for-profit GEMS Education company that runs dozens of schools in Egypt, Qatar and the UAE.

Al-Mansour is the ninth teacher to win the award from the foundation, which first began handing out the prize in 2015. He's the first from the Gulf Arab states to win.

“We’re now working on a project called 'Life Skills' and we enroll students in it. Some of these skills include dialogue, communications and financial awareness," al-Mansour said. "We did a huge project for the poor called financial awareness. We enabled a lot of students in business matters; some even opened their own shops.”

Al-Mansour also works with prisoners, helping them learn to read and write. Several have seen their sentences reduced after his lessons.

Past winners of the Global Teacher Prize have included a Kenyan teacher from a remote village who gave away most of his earnings to the poor, a Palestinian primary school teacher who teaches her students about non-violence and a Canadian educator who taught a remote Arctic village of Inuit students.

GEMS Education, or Global Education Management Systems, is one of the world's largest private school operators and is believed to be worth billions. Its success has followed that of Dubai, where only private schools offer classes for the children of the foreigners who power its economy.

GEMS plans to open a school later this year targeting the children of the ultra-wealthy families now moving to booming, skyscraper-studded Dubai.

The Gems School of Research and Innovation in Dubai, which is planned to have a robotics lab, an Olympic-size swimming pool and an elevated football pitch that doubles as a helipad, will charge fees running from $31,000 for students in pre-K and kindergarten to $56,000 for high-school seniors.

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum arrives at a ceremony to present the Global Teacher Prize in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Saudi Arabian teacher Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour, poses with the Global Teacher Prize trophy at a ceremony in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Saudi Arabian teacher Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour, left, receives the Global Teacher Prize trophy from Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum as Varkey foundation founder Sunny Varkey, right, applauds at a ceremony awarding the Global Teacher Prize in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Saudi Arabian teacher Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour, left, receives the Global Teacher Prize trophy from Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum at a ceremony awarding the Global Teacher Prize in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Saudi Arabian teacher Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour, left, receives the Global Teacher Prize trophy from Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum at a ceremony awarding the Global Teacher Prize in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Michael Olise scored twice as Bayern Munich started the new year by routing Wolfsburg 8-1 with six second-half goals to move 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Olise, Harry Kane and Luis Díaz picked apart the Wolfsburg defense on Sunday in a display of dominance which leaves Bayern firmly on course to defend the title in only the 16th game of the 34-game season.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was pleased his players didn't let up.

“It’s these moments where it’s five, six, 7-1, and they keep running, they keep pressing and keep trying to score goals," he told broadcaster DAZN. "I have to say, I like that.”

In freezing temperatures for Bayern's first game since the winter break, Olise got a brace and Kane and Díaz one apiece, along with goals for substitutes Raphael Guerreiro and Leon Goretzka, and two Wolfsburg own-goals.

Bayern only had two nervous moments all game. The first was Dzenan Pejcinovic's goal for Wolfsburg in the 13th, which leveled the score at 1-1 after right back Konrad Laimer missed an interception.

The other was a brief injury scare for Kane, who needed treatment after being caught on the ankle by defender Moritz Jenz midway through the first half but was soon back in action.

It was Bayern's biggest margin of victory in a Bundesliga game since Kompany took over ahead of the 2024-25 season. His team has scored a remarkable 63 goals in 16 league games this season, nearly four per game, and conceded only 12.

Bayern hasn't lost a Bundesliga game since March and remains the only unbeaten team in any of Europe's five biggest leagues. Wolfsburg is 14th, three points above the relegation zone, as a troubled season hits a new low.

Bayern's closest rivals all had difficulties this weekend as second-place Borussia Dortmund drew 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen lost 4-1 to Stuttgart and Leipzig’s game was postponed due to snow.

Wolfburg's American midfielder Kevin Paredes entered in the 77th minute, his first match this season after recovering from foot surgery in August.

Also Sunday, United States full back Joe Scally scored his first goal since 2023 as Borussia Moenchengladbach beat Augsburg 4-0. Gladbach moved up two places to 10th after winning at home for only the second time this season.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Munich's Luis Diaz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg in Munich, Germany, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Munich's Michael Olise celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg in Munich, Germany, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Mönchengladbach's Joe Scally, center, celebrates scoring with teammates during the Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Mönchengladbach - FC Augsburg in Mönchengladbach, Germany, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Munich's Michael Olise celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg in Munich, Germany, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

Munich's Harry Kane celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg in Munich, Germany, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)