Four Winning Projects Selected for 2025 Prince Talal Prize
The Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development committee has announced the four winning projects for the 2025 prize. The winners will share the $1 million award presented by AGFUND under the theme “Affordable and Clean Energy,” which aligns with the seventh Sustainable Development Goal. The winners were announced during the committee’s 27th meeting at AGFUND headquarters in Riyadh, chaired by Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal, chairman of AGFUND’s board.
Committee Members and Nomination Process
The meeting brought together committee members including Queen Sofia of Spain, executive president of the Queen Sofia Foundation and honorary president of the Royal Board on Education and Care of Handicapped Persons; Mercedes Menafra, former first lady of Uruguay and honorary president of Todos Por Uruguay; and Yusuf Sayed Abdullah, former director general of the OPEC Fund for International Development. A total of 160 projects were nominated for this year’s prize, of which 64 met the eligibility criteria.
Category Winners and Their Projects
The first category award, for projects implemented by UN agencies or international and regional NGOs, went to “Climate-resilient, Community-led Water Supply Systems in Myanmar,” implemented by UNICEF. The second award, for projects implemented by national NGOs, went to “Capacity and Structure Building for Sustainable Food Security and Community-Based Conflict Management to Strengthen Resilience of Conflict-Affected Agro-Pastoral IDPs and Host Communities,” implemented by Nomadic Assistance for Peace and Development in Kenya and Somalia.
The third award, for projects implemented by government bodies or social business enterprises, went to “The Bio-360: Waste-to-Biofuel AI Solution,” implemented by D-Olivette Labs in Nigeria. The fourth award, for projects initiated, funded or implemented by individuals, went to “Scaling Solar Irrigation-as-a-Service and Climate-Smart Farming Advisory to Transform Smallholder Livelihoods,” implemented by Oorja Development Solutions India Private Ltd.
Legacy and Future Themes
Since its establishment in 1999, the Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development has recognized 95 winning projects, honoring innovative initiatives that advance sustainable development and promote excellence in development. Prince Abdulaziz said: “These figures represent far more than statistics. They reflect a growing global commitment to innovation as a driving force for sustainable development. They also stand as a testament to the credibility, integrity and international standing the prize has earned over nearly three decades.” The prize committee also selected “Good Health and Well-being,” aligned with the third SDG, as the theme for the 2026 prize, aiming to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all ages.
