A solemn ceremony for the presentation of the prestigious Zayed Award for Human Fraternity has been held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, President Ilham Aliyev attended the event.
The ceremony commenced with the performance of the UAE national anthem, followed by a video presentation highlighting the significance and history of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, delivered the opening remarks. During the event, video messages from world leaders were presented, including congratulations from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and King Abdullah II of Jordan.
President Ilham Aliyev delivered a comprehensive speech at the ceremony. Following the head of state's address, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was invited to the podium to speak. Other award laureates, including Afghan women's rights activist and researcher Zarqa Yaftali, and Nabil Qaddumi on behalf of the Palestinian organization "Taavon," also addressed the gathering. At the conclusion of the ceremony, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity to the laureates. The event concluded with a commemorative group photo of the participants.
The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is an independent global award that recognizes individuals and entities for their profound contributions to human progress and peaceful coexistence. Established in 2019, the award was inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb, in Abu Dhabi. It is named after the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE, whose legacy of humanitarianism and international cooperation continues to influence global diplomacy and interfaith dialogue.
