What King Faisal Prize does

King Faisal Prize is an international philanthropic award organization established in 1977 and first awarded in 1979 by the King Faisal Foundation (KFF), headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It recognizes outstanding works of individuals and institutions across five categories: Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Medicine, and Science. The prize operates on an annual cycle: topics are announced in September, nominations run September through March, refereeing occurs April through December, winners are announced in January, and the award ceremony takes place in March-April under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal chairs the King Faisal Prize Board, and Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Sabeel serves as Secretary General.

The organization does not sell products or services. It is funded entirely by the King Faisal Foundation and distributes prize money to laureates. Beyond the core award, the foundation has expanded its programmatic footprint through the Al-Faisal Scientific Magazine (a publication covering medicine and science), international forums and conferences (including the Arabic Poetry Conference and Medicine Pioneers Conference), and Arabic-language publications documenting winners' research. Marketing and outreach occur through the bilingual official website (kingfaisalprize.org), annual ceremonies, Saudi Press Agency coverage, and participation in conferences and book fairs.

The customer base consists of individual scholars, scientists, and institutions globally who are nominated, refereed, and ultimately recognized as laureates. The prize claims impartiality and independence from political, sectarian, racial, and religious considerations, and its laureates have included prominent figures such as Professor Svetlana Mojsov (2026, Medicine), Professor Carlos Kenig (2026, Science), Professor Pierre Patrice Marcel Larcher (2026, Arabic Literature), Mr. Mohammad El-Sammak (2024, Service to Islam), and Professor Colin L. Masters (1997, Medicine). No revenue figures are disclosed, consistent with its nonprofit status.

Name

King Faisal Prize

Legal name

King Faisal Prize

Website

https://kingfaisalprize.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

King Faisal Prize is a nonprofit international award organization, founded in 1977 by the King Faisal Foundation, that annually recognizes outstanding individuals and institutions across five categories: Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Medicine, and Science. It operates on an annual nomination-to-ceremony cycle in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under royal patronage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Awards and Prizes

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• International academic awards
• Philanthropic prize foundation
• Islamic scholarship recognition
• Scientific research prizes
• Arabic literature awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Prize Awards: King Faisal Prize is a philanthropic award organization that does not generate revenue. It distributes prize money to laureates in five categories: Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Medicine, and Science. The prize is funded by the King Faisal Foundation (KFF).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

King Faisal Prize is a nonprofit international award organization that annually recognizes outstanding contributions by individuals and institutions across five categories: Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Medicine, and Science. The prize is funded by the King Faisal Foundation and awarded under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. It also publishes the Al-Faisal Scientific Magazine and hosts international conferences and forums.

Product overview

King Faisal Prize is an international award organization established in 1977 that recognizes outstanding contributions by individuals and institutions across five prize categories: Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Medicine, and Science. The organization operates under the King Faisal Foundation and is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The prize portfolio includes the main award categories with annual ceremonies held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Beyond the core prize, the organization publishes the Al-Faisal Scientific Magazine, organizes international conferences and forums, and produces Arabic-language publications documenting winners' research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Service to Islam Award One of five annual prize categories recognizing exceptional contributions to Islamic causes, humanitarian work, interfaith dialogue, and service to Muslim communities worldwide. Open to individuals and institutions through the General Secretariat's nomination process.
• Islamic Studies Award Annual prize category honoring outstanding scholarly research and publications in Islamic studies, including Islamic history, jurisprudence, theology, and political thought, with a rotating topic each year (e.g., Trade Routes in the Islamic World for 2026).
• Arabic Language and Literature Award Annual prize category recognizing excellence in Arabic linguistics, grammar, literature, and contributions to preserving and advancing the Arabic language, with a rotating topic each year (e.g., Arabic Literature in French for 2026).
• Medicine Award Annual prize category honoring groundbreaking contributions to medical science, including research in genetics, neuroscience, immunology, and clinical medicine, with a rotating topic each year (e.g., Discoveries Transforming Obesity Therapeutics for 2026).
• Science Award Annual prize category recognizing outstanding achievements in scientific research across disciplines including chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology, with a rotating topic each year (e.g., Mathematics for 2026).
• Al-Faisal Scientific Magazine Scientific journal published by King Faisal Prize Foundation featuring research articles in medicine and science fields, serving as an ongoing extension of the prize's knowledge-dissemination mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 years of recognizing outstanding achievements globally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• King Faisal Foundation (KFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe King Faisal Prize was initiated by the King Faisal Foundation (KFF), which established the prize as a lofty expression of late King Faisal's support for endeavors to alleviate human suffering through advancement of research and creative human thinking. KFF provides funding and governance for the prize.
• King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMr. Mohammad El-Sammak, 2024 laureate in Service to Islam, serves on the Board of Directors of KAICIID. This connection reflects the prize's recognition of interfaith dialogue work.
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-SaudflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques serves as Supreme President of King Faisal Philanthropic Foundation and provides royal patronage for the annual prize ceremony, lending highest prestige to the award.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wolf Prize: The Wolf Prize is awarded annually in Israel across sciences, arts, and agriculture — directly comparable to King Faisal Prize as another state-linked international award recognizing academic excellence.
• Breakthrough Prize: The Breakthrough Prize is a privately funded, high-purse international science award (life sciences, fundamental physics, mathematics) — directly comparable as a globally scoped, philanthropic, science-recognition institution.
• Balzan Prize: The Balzan Prize is an international award given in alternating categories across humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences — directly comparable as a multi-category philanthropic recognition prize.
• Crafoord Prize: The Crafoord Prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in fields not covered by the Nobel — directly comparable as a complementary, foundation-backed international academic recognition award.
• Templeton Prize: The Templeton Prize is a philanthropic award honoring individuals whose work affirms life's spiritual dimension — comparable as a faith-and-knowledge-adjacent international recognition prize funded by a private foundation.
• Aga Khan Award for Architecture: The Aga Khan Award for Architecture is a Muslim-world-rooted, philanthropy-funded international prize for excellence in architecture — comparable as a region-linked, foundation-funded international recognition award.
• Nobel Prize: The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious international award recognizing outstanding contributions in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace — the most direct comparator to King Faisal Prize's five-category academic and humanitarian structure.
• Japan Prize: The Japan Prize is an international award recognizing outstanding contributions to science and technology — directly comparable as a country-backed, multi-category international scientific recognition prize.
• Shaw Prize: The Shaw Prize is a Hong Kong-based international award recognizing achievements in astronomy, life science and medicine, and mathematical sciences — a direct peer as a region-backed, multi-category global science prize.

Broad incumbents

• King Baudouin Foundation: King Baudouin Foundation is a major Belgian philanthropic foundation that distributes international prizes and grants — comparable as a royal-family-affiliated foundation administering awards and grants across multiple categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KingFaisalPrize
• Facebookfacebook.com/KingFaisalPrize
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kingfaisalprize

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about King Faisal Prize