Zayed Award for Human Fraternity Garners Global Acclaim with Nominations from Over 90 Nations

The 2027 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity has received an impressive 380 nominations, representing more than 90 countries worldwide. Since its inception in 2019, the award has celebrated 20 laureates from 20 different nations for their significant humanitarian contributions across various fields, including health, education, sustainability, support for refugees, community development, food relief, and the empowerment of women and young people. The winners of this prestigious annual prize, which comes with a $1 million award, are set to be announced at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi in February, as confirmed by the emirate's media office on Monday. The submission deadline for nominations was in October.

This year marks a significant expansion, with first-time nominations arriving from 21 countries, including Ethiopia, Germany, and the Netherlands. A substantial number of submissions originated from the UAE, Brazil, the United States, Egypt, and India. These nominations will undergo a thorough review by a distinguished judging committee. The committee members include Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, former president of Portugal; Barham Salih, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and former president of Iraq; Nehmat Aoun, first lady of Lebanon; Maulen Ashimbayev, former chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan; and Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture at the Vatican.

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, a global initiative, was established following the visit of Pope Francis to the UAE in 2019. The 2026 recipients included a Palestinian non-profit organization, the architects of the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and Zarqa Yaftali, an advocate for Afghan girls' education. These individuals and organizations were chosen by an independent global judging committee. The 2026 committee comprised Charles Michel, former president of the European Council and ex-prime minister of Belgium; Moussa Faki Mahamat, former chairman of the African Union Commission and ex-prime minister of Chad; Catherine Russell, UNICEF executive director; Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the administration of the President of Uzbekistan; Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education at the Holy See; and Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.

The 2026 laureates were honored on February 4, observed globally as the International Day of Human Fraternity, during the annual awards ceremony held at the Founder's Memorial in Abu Dhabi. The award, named in honor of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, serves as a testament to his enduring moral legacy, humanitarian spirit, and profound respect for all individuals, irrespective of their religion, gender, race, or nationality.