Matthew McConaughey, Salma Hayek, Bollywood stars in Dubai today

The $1 million Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize just got more precious with Hollywood's top stars, along with other big names from the entertainment industry attending the glittering event at Atlantis The Palm on March 13.

Academy award winner Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek will attend a gala dinner in Dubai tonight.

The Hollywood actors are in town to support the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession.

Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ali Zafar and Parineeti Chopra will also attend the red carpet event.

Korean-American singer Eric Nam and Moroccan singer Hatim Ammor will close the evening with a concert.

Now in its second year, and widely referred to as the Nobel Prize for teaching, the $1 million award is the largest prize of its kind.

By unearthing thousands of stories of heroes that have transformed young people’s lives, the prize hopes to bring to life the exceptional work of millions of teachers all over the world.

The top ten have been narrowed down from 8,000 nominations and applications from 148 countries from around the world.

By highlighting their stories the Varkey Foundation hopes that the public will be able to join in passionate debates about the importance of teachers.

The winner will be announced at a gala event in Dubai's Atlantis, The Palm during the Global Education and Skills Forum.

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