King Faisal Prize (formerly King Faisal International Prize)

きんぐふぁいさるしょう

Established in 1979. An international prize organized by the King Faisal Foundation that recognizes individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions across 5 categories.

Service to IslamIslamic StudiesArabic Language and LiteratureScienceMedicine

Established: 1979
Organizer: King Faisal Foundation
Category: Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Selection Method: Recommendation
Target: Professional
Frequency: 1 per year
Announcement Period: around January
Status: Active

Description

The King Faisal Prize was established in 1979 as an international award given in five categories: Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Science, and Medicine. Candidates are primarily selected through nominations from Islamic institutions, universities, and past winners, followed by peer review and evaluation by specialist selection committees leading to a final decision. Awards include a certificate, a 24-carat gold medal, and SAR 750,000 in prize money (divided in the case of joint winners). The selection committee typically makes the final decision at the Riyadh headquarters in January each year, with announcement and presentation at the award ceremony.

Prize

Main Prize: Each category winner receives a certificate in Diwani script, a 24-carat (200g) gold medal, and a check for SAR 750,000 (divided in case of joint winners).
Cash Prize: 750,000 SAR

Certificate (Diwani script)
24-carat 200-gram gold medal
Winners are invited to the award ceremony in Riyadh
Prize money is equally divided in case of joint winners

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Designation of subjects	Selection committees for each category designate topics annually	null	Islamic Studies, Arabic Literature, Medicine, etc., have specific themes designated annually by the selection committee
Nomination	Nominations by Islamic institutions, universities, and past winners (direct applications from individuals or political parties not permitted)	null	Candidates must be published works, emphasizing practical or academic contributions
Pre-selection / Peer review	Peer reviewers and field-specific preliminary judges conduct pre-selection	null	Valuable candidates are narrowed down through peer review and evaluation
Final selection	International and specialist selection committee makes final decision at King Faisal Foundation headquarters (Riyadh) (held every January)	null	Final decision by the selection committee, with winners announced at the award ceremony

Designation of subjects

Judges Selection committees for each category designate topics annually

Pass Rate null

Announcement Islamic Studies, Arabic Literature, Medicine, etc., have specific themes designated annually by the selection committee

Nomination

Judges Nominations by Islamic institutions, universities, and past winners (direct applications from individuals or political parties not permitted)

Pass Rate null

Announcement Candidates must be published works, emphasizing practical or academic contributions

Pre-selection / Peer review

Judges Peer reviewers and field-specific preliminary judges conduct pre-selection

Pass Rate null

Announcement Valuable candidates are narrowed down through peer review and evaluation

Final selection

Judges International and specialist selection committee makes final decision at King Faisal Foundation headquarters (Riyadh) (held every January)

Pass Rate null

Announcement Final decision by the selection committee, with winners announced at the award ceremony

Criteria

The nominee or work must be published
Brings benefits to humanity or academia and enriches knowledge
Service to Islam category: outstanding practical/intellectual contributions to Islam/Muslim society
Aligned with the theme specified for the year (e.g., Medicine, Arabic literature)
Comprehensive evaluation of academic rigor, international impact, and practical contributions

Application Tips

Dos

Conduct nominations through universities, Islamic institutions, and past winners (follow the specified submission method)
Ensure candidate achievements are published and gather evidence of academic and social impact
Clearly demonstrate alignment with the theme or field specified for that year
Carefully prepare peer-reviewed papers, summaries of award candidates, and materials demonstrating the impact of achievements

Don''ts

Do not apply directly as individuals or political parties (nominations only)
Do not submit only unpublished or unreviewed manuscripts
Do not present false achievements or incorrect citations
Do not ignore the specified format or deadlines

From Judges

Focus on published high-quality research/achievements and their social impact
Demonstrate clear contributions to the specified theme and its international significance
For multiple authors or organizations, specifying each party's contributions is advantageous in review
Recommendation documents should include objective evaluations (peer review, citations, acceptance)