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Yousef Al-Hadji received his formal education in Kuwaiti schools while pursuing religious studies under the tutelage of prominent Islamic educators at home. After working for a few years in ARAMCO, Saudi Arabia, he served in the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health and became the Director of Purchases, then a Deputy Minister of Health. During that period, he oversaw the establishment of the first government hospital in Kuwait and subsequently opened several others.

He also played a key role in the introduction of medical services in rural areas, and was a Founding Chairman of the Kuwaiti Red Cross. He became a Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs from 1976-1981, during which period he pursued the establishment of the Kuwaiti House of Finance; and the College of Shari’a (Islamic Law) in Kuwait University, while launching the Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence, a highly acclaimed resource of that subject. In 1984, he co-founded the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) and became its President. This is a mammoth organization that provides humanitarian aid to impoverished and destitute people throughout the world, regardless of their race, creed, or nationality. Over the years, the IICO built a large number of hospitals, schools, orphanages, mosques, wells, and farms that benefited millions of underprivileged people, particularly in Africa and Asia.

The IICO and the Kuwaiti Red Cross are, however, not the only examples of Shaikh Al-Hadji’s lifelong commitment to Islamic charity and social reform. He also founded, co-founded, and directed many other philanthropic institutions in the Islamic World and internationally. He was the Chairman of the Kuwaiti Joint Commission for Relief, the Vice-President of the Kuwaiti House of Alms and the International Islamic Council for Dawah and Relief in Cairo, and a member of the Boards of Trustees of the Organization of Islamic Daawa (Sudan), the Islamic Foundation in Leicester (UK) and the Islamic Universities in Islamabad and Chittagong (Bangladesh) and formerly in Uganda and Niger. He was also a member of the Supreme Council for Mosques of the World Islamic League in Makkah, and the Board of Directors of Dubai Islamic Bank. He wrote several articles defending Islamic charity and explaining its impact on the fight against poverty, ignorance and disease in the world. Al-Hadji’s contributions to Islamic charity and education were recognized by several other medals, prizes, and honorary degrees.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Salih Al-Husayyin graduated from the College of Shari’a in Riyadh in 1955, and obtained a master’s degree in legal studies from the Institute of Arabic Studies in Cairo in 1960. He also studied English and French languages. Shaikh Al-Husayyin started his career in teaching before becoming legal counsel to the Ministry of Finance, then a Chairman of the Saudi Disciplinary Commission and subsequently a State Minister and a Member of the Saudi Council of Ministers. He also served as a member of the Supreme Council for “Dawah” and Guidance in Saudi Arabia. He was the President of Al-Harameen Commission (The Two Holy Mosques) and a Chairman of King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue.

Shaikh Al-Husayyin played a prominent role in the field of Islamic Da’wa not only by preaching Islamic values of justice, equality, and righteousness, but also by emphasizing the moderate face of Islam and encouraging tolerance and understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. He was a dedicated philanthropist and a founder of several local and international humanitarian institutions. An ardent supporter of education, the Shaikh had also served on the Supreme Councils of several Saudi Universities. He was an active intellectual and prolific writer, who has contributed profusely over the past 20 years to a better understanding of Islamic economics particularly on matters relating to Islamic banking in the light of contemporary economic thought. He was a strong advocate of the notions “the principal function of Islamic banking is dealing with money rather than dealing in money” and that “wealth should be utilized for the benefit of all rather than a certain class of people”.

Shaikh Al-Husayyin was a man of benevolence, respected by Muslims and non-Muslims throughout the world. His immense contribution to the service of Islam was matched only by his modesty, kindness, and self-denial.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Ahmed Ali received BA degrees in commerce and law from Cairo University, a Master’s degree in public administration, and a Ph.D. in financial management from the USA. He held senior positions in the Saudi Government before being selected in 1975 as the first president of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). His leadership has been instrumental for the development of the bank and the realization of its mission, namely promoting economic and social progress of member states and Muslim communities at large, without compromising the principles of Islamic laws.

During Dr. Ali’s more than 30 years of presidency of IDB, the bank flourished at an unprecedented rate, an ambitious infrastructure was completed, and numerous financial institutions were established within the Bank. Recognizing the importance of science and technology in socio-economic development, the IDB also provided significant assistance in the form of scholarship programs, and collaboration with, or support of, science and technology institutions in member states and Muslim communities worldwide.

Meanwhile, the IDB expanded its objectives to include assistance of Muslims at times of destitute and alleviation of poverty in Muslim communities. One of the greatest accomplishments in this respect is Saudi Arabia’s Project for the Utilization of Sacrificial Slaughtering. A staggering figure of more than half a million sheep is slaughtered each year within a few days during Hajj season, and in the past, this entire food was virtually wasted. Through collaboration between the Saudi Government and IDB – in which Dr. Ali plays a central role –, all of these animals are now slaughtered in modern facilities near Makkah, packed according to the highest international standards and flown to poverty stricken areas throughout the Muslim world. This project not only sets a model of sustainable Islamic philanthropy but also helps maintain a healthy environment.

Dr. Ali set an example of successful Islamic banking in modern times. He is a Board member of the Saudi Fund for Development and member of Higher Education Councils of several Saudi universities. Despite his immense responsibilities, he regularly shares his unique experience with others through his articles, lectures and working papers on Islamic economics, Islamic banking, and education.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Al-Hariri Foundation is one of the most respected philanthropic organizations in the Arab and the Islamic worlds. Established in 1979 by the late Rafiq Al-Hariri 1944-2005 of Lebanon, the Foundation has branches in France, Britain, and the U.S.A.

Al-Hariri Foundation is best known for its passionate support of education, Islamic institutions, and general social welfare in Lebanon, and for contributing substantial resources to relief efforts and reconstruction in that country in the aftermath of the Lebanese civil war.

It is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, and not-for-profit organization, originally formed in Sidon under the name of “The Islamic Institute for Culture and Higher Education” then re-named “Al-Hariri Foundation” and its Headquarters moved to Beirut, with branches in several Lebanese regions. In its endeavors to promote national unity and moderation among the Lebanese,

it has – over the past 25 years – built and financially supported schools, technical colleges, mosques, orphanages, hospitals, and facilities for the elderly and the disabled throughout Lebanon.

The Foundation’s role in the advancement of education and conservation of Islamic architecture and culture is further evidence of its commitment to the Lebanese people. The Foundation has restored and refurbished several historic buildings in Lebanon, including mosques in Baalbek, Sidon, and Sur (Tyre).

To help build human resources to meet Lebanon’s current and future needs, Al-Hariri Foundation has assisted in the education or training of nearly 35,000 Lebanese students, including some 4000 engineers, 1500 physicians and more than 835 Ph.D. students, regardless of their religion or political affiliation. Hundreds of postgraduate students supported by the Foundation have completed their studies at leading universities and colleges in the West. The Foundation has also supported some educational, social, medical, and scientific centers in other countries.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Abdulrahman Al-Thahab received military education in Sudan, U.K., U.S.A., Egypt, and Jordan and served for more than 30 years in the Sudanese armed forces, and became a Chief Commander and a Minister of Defense in his country. At the height of a political turmoil that threatened to break down Sudan in 1985, he took control over the country for one year, during which he organized general elections and turned over power to a democratically elected government. From that time onward, he dedicated his time and energy to Islamic Da’wa and charity. His relentless pursuit of the welfare of Muslims soon established him as one of the most respected personalities in the Islamic and Arab worlds. As a Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Da’wa Organization in Khartoum, Abdulrahman Al-Thahab was credited for the glaring achievements of that organization, including the construction of hundreds of schools, charity clinics, childcare centers, orphanages, mosques, and wells in impoverished parts of the Islamic World.

Field Marshall Abdulrahman Al-Thahab was also the Deputy President of the World Council for Islamic Da’wa in Cairo, the International Islamic Organization in Kuwait, and Al-Quds International Organization, and a founding and an honorary member of several Islamic and international organizations that carried our relief operations in Bosnia, Chechnya, Azerbaijan, Palestine, and Somalia. He was also actively involved in reconciliatory efforts in Somalia and Southern Sudan and in an international peace delegation seeking to end war between Iraq and Iran.

In Sudan, Abdulrahman Al-Thahab also served as a Chairman of both the National Fund for Peace and the Board of Trustees of Kordofan University. He founded the East Nile University College and was one of the founders of Ahliyya University in Omdurman. He received an honorary doctorate from Kordofan University.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

The Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation is a Saudi-based philanthropic organization established in 1995 in Riyadh to provide social services and health care for the elderly and comprehensive rehabilitation programs for the disabled, and children with special needs, in addition to a number of ambitious housing, educational, and medical programs.

Within a few years of its establishment, the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation emerged as one of the largest of its

kind in the world. Its accomplishments include establishment of the monumental Sultan Bin Abdulaziz’s City for

Humanitarian Services, Humanitarian Housing Projects, Prince Sultan Center for Science and Technology, Special Education Program, Arab and Islamic Education Program at the University of California in Berkeley, a Medical and Educational Telecommunications Program (Medunet), King Abdulaziz Center for

Islamic Studies in Italy, and Center for Hearing and Speech in collaboration with the Bahrain Society for Child Development. Furthermore, the Foundation provides direct financial support to many pre-existing philanthropic activities in the Kingdom and elsewhere.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Sultan Al-Qasimi received his general education in Al-Sharjah, Dubai, and Kuwait, and obtained a B.Sc. in agricultural engineering from Cairo University, a Ph.D. in History from Exeter University, and another Ph.D. in Geopolitics of the Gulf Region from Durham University in the U.K.

A devout Muslim leader, philanthropist, and educator, Sultan Al-Qasimi has contributed to the establishment of educational, social, health care, and housing projects that benefited Muslims throughout the world. He also assisted victims of floods and natural disasters, and helped build roads and water and power stations in some parts of the Islamic world. Realizing that learning is one of the primary goals of Islam, he supported learning institutions in Al-Sharjah and elsewhere in the Arab world. Under his leadership, Al-Sharjah became an important cultural center in the region, embracing several educational institutions, museums, art galleries, theaters, and centers for wildlife and desert life conservation. He is the Chancellor of Al-Sharjah University and the American University in Al-Sharjah, an Honorary President of the International University Services, Arab Foundation for Science and Technology and Association of Arabic Language Societies, and a Visiting Professor at Exeter University. Despite his enormous responsibilities as ruler of Al-Sharjah, he is an active faculty at Al-Sharjah University, where he teaches modern history of the Gulf. Two of his books, The Myth of Arab Piracy in the Gulf and The Gulf in Historic Maps: 1493-1931 are important references on the history of the Emirates. Shaikh Al-Qasimi also published a number of theatrical and literary works.

Sheikh Al-Qasimi’s contributions were also recognized by around 20 honorary degrees, prizes, medals, and fellowships.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

The Saudi Arabian High Commission for Donations to Bosnia-Herzegovina, headed by Prince Salman bin Abd Al-Aziz, was formed in 1992, at the height of the Bosnian war, for the noble purpose of assisting Bosnian Muslims during that tragedy. Despite the intensity of the fighting, the Foundation succeeded, through its officers in Europe, in providing much needed supplies of food, medicine and other forms of direct humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged communities throughout Bosnia.

The Foundation explained the magnitude of the tragedy in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the nature of atrocities that Muslims were subjected to at the hands of Serbs, to the Saudi public, urging every Muslim to come to their rescue. Generous donations from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the late King Fahd, members of the Saudi Royal family, businessmen and ordinary citizens, enabled the Foundation to deliver considerable aid to the Bosnians.

The Foundation’s humanitarian assistance during and after the war ranged from building orphanages, medical facilities and refugee centers to the reconstruction of homes, schools, hospitals, railway lines, water supplies and electricity networks destroyed by the war. Such services were often rendered under extremely difficult conditions imposed by the conflict.

In the field of education and religious services, the Foundation built, re-built or refurbished schools, colleges, libraries and more than 600 mosques in different Bosnian cities, printed and distributed free educational books, as well as more than half a million copies of the Holy Quran, and offered numerous scholarships.

The Commission Was established in 1992 during the war in Bosnia. Even under difficult conflict conditions, the Commission has managed to provide much- needed supplies to war-ravaged communities and to assist in the reconstruction of homes and infrastructure.

Egypt’s renowned Islamic institution, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, has been serving the Islamic World for more than 1,000 years. Built in Cairo in 971 AD by Johar Al-Siqilli on the order of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Mu’iz, and named in the honor of Fatima Al-Zahraa, daughter of the Prophet Mohammad, Al-Azhar soon became the focus of Muslim scholars and students from around the world. Over the centuries, it played a key role in teaching Islam and preserving Islamic culture.

Originally a single minaret mosque composed of a courtyard and an oratory, Al-Azhar was extended through the years into a 5-minaret mosque and a vast teaching and research complex, incorporating schools of Islamic jurisprudence, theology, and Arabic language, as well as a modern university that teaches medicine, engineering, and agriculture, and an Islamic Women Faculty. The Academy for Islamic Research, Al-Azhar Library (consisting of about 600,000 volumes of Islamic manuscripts and rare books) and the Holy Qur’an Printing Service also form part of the complex.

Al-Azhar is not only the most important mosque in Egypt but also one of the oldest universities in the world. It started accepting students from all parts of the Islamic World in 976 AD. Both education and lodging were free of charge at that time. Countless numbers of renowned Muslim scholars and leaders graduated from it. Today, students from 85 countries are enrolled in the main campus in Cairo and many others are receiving education in its branches and institutes in other parts of the Islamic World. Among the objectives of Al-Azhar University, apart from formal education, is the propagation of the Islamic religion and culture, and Arabic language, preservation of Islamic heritage, training of preachers and judging on individual Islamic questions through its Committee of Scholars.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Juma Al-Majid studied Islamic Studies, the Holy Quran, and Arabic language, then shifted to business and was a successful businessman throughout the Gulf Countries.

One of Mr. Al-Majid’s most significant accomplishments is the inception of Juma Al-Majid Center for Culture and Heritage, which emphasizes Islamic culture and its role in history. The center publishes cultural and scientific books, organizes lectures, and embraces a library with more than half a million titles and thousands of original ancient manuscripts, microfiche, audiovisual material, periodicals, and other documents that reflect the richness of Islamic culture. The Center provides extensive, free resources to scholars of Islamic and Arabic studies and maintains active exchange programs with more than 300 international cultural and learning institutions.

Mr. Al-Majid also founded numerous schools that provide free education for nearly 9,000 Muslim students in the United Arab Emirates, in addition to the College of Islamic and Arabic Studies in Dubai, where more than 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students also receive free education. His other humanitarian endeavors include supporting research, adult education programs, and campaigns against illiteracy, as well as building schools, hospitals, and mosques around the world. He is a member of the Supreme Council of the UAE University and the Arabic Thought Foundation, a former member of the Advisory Committee of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, and the recipient of several national and international awards and medals.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.