Prince Talal International Prize Honors Pioneer Projects in the Field of Marine Life

Under the gracious patronage of Her Majesty Queen Sofia, a member of the Prince Talal International Prize Committee for Human Development, and in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of AGFUND’s Board of Directors and Chairman of the Prize Committee, as well as Her Highness Princess Haifa Al Mogrin the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Kingdom of Spain, AGFUND celebrated the winners of the Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development 2024 , honoring pioneer projects in the field of “Life Below Water,” the 14th Sustainable Development Goal, in Madrid.

HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal emphasized that AGFUND believes true development is founded on justice, empowerment, and partnership. He added that the Prince Talal International Prize was established to serve as a platform for outstanding initiatives, to foster creativity and innovation, and to showcase pioneering projects that advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

In his statement, His Highness also expressed his gratitude to the Kingdom of Spain for hosting the ceremony and congratulated the winners on their innovative solutions that strengthen the protection of marine ecosystems. He also expressed his hope that this achievement will inspire further innovation and dedicated efforts toward a more sustainable and prosperous future.

HRH also pointed out that the ceremony is being held at a time when the international community is preparing for a series of major global meetings in 2025, including summits on climate, sustainable development, and financing for development, reflecting a greater responsibility and highlighting the importance of our role in supporting international efforts to build a more sustainable future.

For his part, AGFUND Executive Director Dr. Nasser Alkahtani, explained that the Prize is a key pillar of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development’s strategy to support United Nations development organizations, highlighting its role in identifying and promoting sustainable development solutions.

In a speech delivered by Signora Mercedes Menafra, a member of the Prize Committee, she highlighted that the ongoing legacy of the Prize reflects HRH the late Prince Talal’s enduring developmental vision. She also noted that Spain’s hosting of this year’s ceremony is particularly significant, given Her Majesty Queen Sofia’s contributions to the protection of marine life and efforts to combat pollution.

The Prince Talal International Prize carries a reward of $1,000,000 (U.S.) awarded by AGFUND. Every year, the committee dedicates its theme to one of the Sustainable Development Goals for competition.

The winning projects for the year 2024 were as follows:

The first category award, worth $400,000, went to “Tide Turner Plastic Challenge: Catalysing youth action to reduce plastic pollution through behaviour change,” implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, and Madagascar, allocated to projects by UN agencies or international and regional NGOs.

The second category award went to “NETCYCLE AFRICA - Closing the Loop on Waste Fishnets in Africa,”implemented by Chaint Afrique Academy in Ghana. The award is worth $300,000 and is allocated to projects by national NGOs.

The third category award, worth $200,000 and allocated to projects by governmental bodies (ministries and public institutions) or social business enterprises, went to “Zero-Plastic Oceans (ZEPO),” implemented by eTrash2Cash (eT2C) in Nigeria.

The fourth category award, allocated to projects initiated, funded, and/or implemented by individuals, went to “ALGRIF (ALG UNO): Transforming Marine Algae into Sustainable Biostimulants and Biofertilizers,” implemented by Mr. Abdelilah Hammada in Morocco, with a value of $100,000.

In addition, AGFUND urged all concerned parties to submit nominations for the Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development for the year 2025 the field of “Affordable and Clean Energy,” the 7th Sustainable Development Goal. The deadline for submitting nominations will end on January 30, 2026.