Soufiane El Bakkali was awarded in the Arab sports category, according to the jury, for his gold medal in the 3,000 meters steeplechase won at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, becoming the first Arab athlete to win an Olympic medal in this race.

In the "Arab Referee" category, Moroccan Zitouni Matyout was honored for being the first international karate referee to lead four finals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, in addition to being awarded the title of Best African Continental Referee in the sport, and the Wissam for Arab Referee Excellence in 2021.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award recognizes innovators in various sports fields and disciplines worldwide and includes several categories.