King Faisal Prize Finalizes Preparations for Announcing 2026 Laureates
The King Faisal Prize (KFP), one of the world’s most prominent international awards, is preparing to unveil the names of the laureates for its 48th session for the year 2026, following the conclusion of the final selection committee meetings in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The official announcement of the winners is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, January 7, 2026. The selection committee meetings for the Prize’s four branches—Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Medicine, and Science—commenced this morning, Sunday, January 5, 2026, at the KFP headquarters in Riyadh. These meetings will continue until Wednesday, January 7, 2026, as the committees review the nominated works, examine the referees’ reports, and select the laureates according to the most rigorous scientific standards. His Royal Highness Prince Turki AlFaisal, Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, is presiding over the selection committee meeting for the King Faisal Prize for Service to Islam for 2026.
This is an honorary award granted to individuals who have made pioneering and tangible contributions to the service of Islam and Muslims, whether intellectually, scientifically, or socially. The Prize committees had previously determined the themes for the four scientific and literary branches of this session: “Trade Routes in the Islamic World” for Islamic Studies, “Arabic Literature in the French Language” for Arabic Language and Literature, “Influential Discoveries in Obesity Treatments” for Medicine, and “Mathematics” for Science.
His Royal Highness Prince Turki AlFaisal is scheduled to announce the names of the King Faisal Prize laureates across its five branches for 2026 at 8:00 PM on Wednesday, January 7. The announcement ceremony will take place at the Prince Sultan Grand Hall in AlFaisaliah Center in Riyadh.
The KFP General Secretariat confirms that nominations are accepted from reputable universities, scientific bodies, research institutions, and centers worldwide, with regulations stipulating that the nominee must be alive, and their nominated works must be published, possess high scientific value, be beneficial to humanity, and contribute to the enrichment of human knowledge.
The selection committees comprise an elite group of specialized scholars and prominent scientific figures from various countries to ensure the highest levels of integrity and accuracy in the selection process. The King Faisal Prize was established in 1977 by the King Faisal Foundation and first awarded in 1979. The Prize aims to enrich human thought, contribute to the advancement of humanity, affirm and highlight Islamic values, and honor knowledge and scholars.
The Prize is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievements in five branches: Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Medicine, and Science. Laureates are chosen based on their scientific competence and research excellence in light of precise scientific criteria.
