Zayed Award honours Palestinian organisation

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity on Monday announced Palestinian non-profit organization Taawon as the third honoree of its seventh edition. The organization will be honoured alongside the historic peace agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia and Afghan girls’ education advocate Zarqa Yaftali during the annual award ceremony at the Founder’s Memorial in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2026.

Palestinian organization Taawon was selected in recognition of its exceptional humanitarian and developmental work, which touches the lives of over one million people annually across Palestine. Since its establishment in 1983, Taawon has invested more than $1 billion across various initiatives including education, youth empowerment, orphan care, cultural projects, rehabilitation of historic towns, and community development, including health, agriculture, and emergency humanitarian assistance. The organization has implemented over 8,200 projects that support Palestinians – particularly young people – in strengthening resilience, advancing opportunities, and elevating communities economically, socially, and culturally, while preserving Palestinian heritage, promoting sustainable development, and showcasing enduring civilization and renewed creativity.

Dr. Nabil H. Qaddumi, Chairman of Taawon’s Board of Directors, expressed pride in the organization’s selection as a 2026 honoree and conveyed his appreciation and gratitude to the award’s judging committee, comprising a global panel of experts in advancing dialogue and human coexistence.

Dr. Qaddumi said that the recognition will provide Taawon with renewed powerful moral momentum and a broader platform to highlight humanitarian and developmental priorities in Palestine. He underscored that the international recognition conferred by the award will advance the organization’s capacity to further develop long-term programmes in education, health, youth empowerment, and community development.

Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, said that the selection of Taawon as the third 2026 honoree is a recognition of the organization’s long-standing humanitarian efforts that have safeguarded human dignity and strengthened the resilience of Palestinian society amid highly complex and difficult circumstances.

He noted that the Palestinian organization Taawon has advanced a pioneering institutional model for humanitarian action and development, expanding its impact from immediate relief to long-term investment in education, health, youth empowerment, and social cohesion. He also added that honouring Taawon aligns with the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity’s mission to recognize organizations that translate the values of human fraternity into tangible impact and help people and communities in need, following in the footsteps of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the United Arab Emirates.

The announcement of Taawon as the third honoree for the award’s seventh edition follows the award’s announcement of the first and second honorees last week, namely the historic peace agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, and Afghan girl’s advocate Ms Zarqa Yaftali.

Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, both expressed their pride in the joint recognition, which contributes to strengthening efforts to advance peace in the Caucasus region. Ms Zarqa Yaftali said the honour carries a powerful and inspiring message to the women of Afghanistan and offers a renewed source of hope to many girls and women around the world.

Since 2019, the award has honoured 20 recipients from 20 countries including His Holiness Pope Francis (honorary recipient), Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb (honorary recipient), and international institutions and figures that have made outstanding contributions to promoting and advancing the values of human fraternity worldwide.

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is an annual independent humanitarian global award that recognizes, supports and honours people and entities of all backgrounds working to advance the timeless values of solidarity, integrity, fairness and optimism.