Pope Leo XIV receives the jury of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity 2026

Yesterday in the Vatican, Pope Leo
During the meeting, the moment of establishing the award was recalled following the signing of the “Document on Human Fraternity” by the late Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam, Professor Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, President of the Muslim Council of Elders.
In this context, the Pope stressed that the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity embodies the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, “may God rest his soul,” the founder of the United Arab Emirates.
He expressed his pleasure in meeting the members of the committee, saying that they “employ their talents, vision, and moral convictions in serving the noble cause of promoting human brotherhood.”
The jury for the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity, the independent global award that honors individuals and organizations that work to consolidate the values ​​of human brotherhood and make qualitative shifts towards peaceful coexistence, meets in Rome as part of the annual tradition during which the committee holds its meetings in one or more cities around the world.
The award’s jury, in its seventh session in 2026, includes: former President of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Belgium, Charles Michel, former President of the African Union Commission and former Prime Minister of Chad, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Department of Culture and Education of the Holy See, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, and Secretary-General of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity, Counselor Mohammed. Abdul Salam.
Counselor Mohamed Abdel Salam said: “Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo
We were very honored by the Pope’s encouragement to continue serving humanity with charitable works, promoting brotherhood among people, and confronting hatred, at a time when humanity faces grave challenges.”
Catherine Russell said that the meeting with Pope Leo
Cardinal Tolentino said that the meeting embodies the cooperative and shared religious spirit on which the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity is based, and the Holy See’s firm commitment to the values ​​stipulated in the Document on Human Fraternity and the papal encyclical “We are all brothers.”
Charles Michel pointed out that the meeting with Pope Leo
Moussa Faki Mohammed expressed his pride in meeting with Pope Leo
Saida Mirziyoyeva said: “The meeting with Pope Leo
Following the visit of Pope Leo
The selected honoree(s) will receive a financial prize of one million US dollars, and will be honored at a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2026, which coincides with the International Day of Human Fraternity established by the United Nations, in commemoration of the signing of the “Document on Human Fraternity.”
The award’s jury met last Tuesday in Cairo with His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, as part of the agenda of its visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt, which included a number of meetings to discuss the nominations received for the award in its seventh edition in 2026, in addition to a number of events and field visits, including a visit to the Al-Azhar Mosque, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and a number of other religious and cultural institutions in Cairo.