AGFUND to Host 27th Prince Talal International Award Ceremony in Armenia Next Wednesday

Riyadh -- The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) announced on Monday that it will host the 27th edition of the Prince Talal International Award for Human Development ceremony on Wednesday next week in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, to honor winning projects in the field of clean energy.

In a statement, AGFUND said the ceremony will be attended by the program’s board chairman and chairman of the award committee, Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal, and Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan, as well as Spanish Queen Mother Sofia.

The statement clarified that the ceremony honors institutions and individuals whose projects won in the award’s categories for the 2025 edition, which is dedicated to the theme “Affordable and Clean Energy,” the seventh goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It noted that Armenia was chosen to host the ceremony coinciding with the convening of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, highlighting the intersection between the award’s theme and international efforts to protect the environment and achieve sustainable development, as well as showcasing the role of innovative solutions in improving human lives and preserving natural resources.

The ceremony celebrates four projects offering innovative solutions, including climate-resilient water supply systems, enhanced food security and livelihoods, waste-to-biofuel conversion, and the expansion of solar-powered irrigation services for smallholder farmers.

The statement emphasized that these initiatives reflect the role of energy in meeting basic needs, improving production opportunities, and enhancing the quality of life in beneficiary communities.

It added that the total value of the award is one million US dollars, distributed across four categories targeting projects by UN, international, and regional organizations, national civil society associations, government entities, social enterprises, and individual initiatives.

The award was established in 1999 under the name “AGFUND International Award for Entrepreneurial Human Development Projects” and was later renamed in honor of Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, founder of AGFUND, with the aim of identifying successful development projects, honoring their leaders, promoting their solutions, and sharing their experiences to facilitate the replication of applicable models and expand their impact on improving the lives of the most vulnerable groups.

Since 2017, the award’s themes have been linked to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, with the award committee selecting a theme each edition related to one of these goals to highlight practical experiences contributing to their achievement.

The 2026 edition is dedicated to the theme “Good Health and Well-being,” the third SDG, to honor projects that contribute to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

(End) K.N.Sh / F.L.A