Abdul rahman al sumait biography of william

Kuwait City, October 10, 2023 – The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) has announced that over 33 nominations from over 10 countries have been received for the 2023 Al-Sumait Prize for African Development in its Education Category, which closed for nominations on the 30th September.

The nominations received comprised of prominent individuals, institutes, organizations and NGO’s working to develop and promote education as a main vehicle to drive socio-economic development in Africa.

The nominee’s dossiers will be reviewed and screened by a panel of experts in Kuwait to ensure that all applicants fulfil the basic requirements of the prize and then a short list of potential laureates will be produced. The final evaluation stage is entrusted to a Selection Panel composed of prominent international experts in the field, which will meet to study the shortlisted cases and reports of the evaluation team they will then recommend winner(s) of the Prize to the Board of Trustees.

The eventual winner(s) of the prize will be selected by the Al-Sumait Board of Trustees, which comprises prominent international personalities in the field of development in Africa and world-renowned philanthropists. The Board is chaired by His Excellency Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait.

Other trustees include Mr Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Kwaku Aning, Deputy Director General and Head of Department at the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Mr Abdulatif Al- Hamad, Director General and Chairman of the Board of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development.

Announced by the late Amir of the State of Kuwait, H.H. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in November 2013 at the 3rd Arab African Summit, the aim of Al-Sumait Prize is to contribute significantly to solve major

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Two years after his death, the memory of Kuwaiti physician Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sumait, a dedicated humanitarian who dedicated his life to helping Africa's poor, is being kept alive through a national initiative aimed at boosting the continent's efforts in the areas of food safety and sustainability.

The Al-Sumait Prizes are bestowed upon African programs having to do with food security and nutrition education. Winners receive $1 million and are chosen by a review board comprised of development professionals and philanthropists from all over the world, including American philanthropist and entrepreneur Bill Gates.

"Though I never met him, I've learned through my involvement in the prize about the extraordinary life of the late Dr. Abdulrahman Al Sumait and how he truly embodies Kuwait's tradition of generosity and concern for people in need," Gates said. "Through the Al-Sumait Prize, we will celebrate his life, not just by celebrating his achievements, but also by discovering the next generation of innovations that will shape a healthier and more prosperous future for Africa and lift millions out of poverty."

Board member Donald Kaberuka, former president of the African Development Bank, agreed.

"The Al-Sumait Prize is a recognition and reward for excellence in human development in education, health and food security," he said.

Two prizes, one for food security and the other for health, will be awarded in November 2016. More information about the awards, including application forms, is available at http://www.alsumaitprize.org.

I never had the chance to meet the late Kuwaiti Dr Abdulrahman Al Sumait, but in recent months I’ve come to appreciate the remarkable man that he was. A physician, Islamic scholar and philanthropist, Dr Al Sumait embodied Kuwait’s tradition of generosity and concern for people in need, which UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon underscored last year in recognising His Highness the Emir Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah as a “global humanitarian leader”.

At age 35, Dr Al Sumait established a humanitarian organisation known today as Direct Aid. In less than 30 years, Direct Aid built more than 800 schools, 200 medical clinics, and over 200 training centres for women. And it drilled thousands of wells, helped construct many agricultural and irrigation projects and distributed thousands of tonnes of food and medical supplies in famine-stricken areas.

I’ve had the opportunity to learn about Dr Al Sumait, who died in 2013, in connection with the launch of a new $1 million prize for innovation in global health established by His Highness the Emir of Kuwait. I’ll be helping review the work of the nominees for the first prize, which will be awarded in 2016 to an innovator who has made a significant and lasting impact in furthering economic and social development in Africa. The first year’s prize will recognise a notable advancement related to communicable diseases or the delivery of health care.

More broadly, the prize will celebrate Dr Al Sumait’s life – not just by looking back at his achievements, but also by looking forward to the breakthroughs needed to carry on his legacy in Africa and create a better world for the millions still living in poverty.

Al Sumait understood that lifting the world’s poorest out of poverty had to start with the building blocks of life – access to healthcare, education, clean water, and the agricultural tools necessary to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. And, like our foundation, Dr Al Sumait’s philanthropy was largely focused on the most