HRH The President, Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz
President, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, The Arab Open University:

Since the inception of the AOU as a pan-Arab project, HRH prince Talal has continued his personal involvement in leading the efforts toward its establishment as a standing institution of higher education, with working branches in many Arab countriesToday, HRH Prince Talal continues his deep commitment to the project by serving as President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees despite his many other regional and international commitments

Below is a brief chronology of HRH's major accomplishments

H.R.H. Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz was born 1935 in Taif (Saudi Arabia) where local environment had a profound Influence shaping his personality. He grew up with real love for philanthropic work and a firm belief in the importance of solidarity with the poor and needy people. The philosophy of H.R.H. Prince Talal in his humanitarian responsibility is based on his strong conviction that sustainable development, and preserving dignity of the deprived citizens of the world, can only be  achieved  by  investing in human beings. This philosophy  is supportive to the continuous efforts the international  development community is striving to achieve, in order to meet the severe challenges facing  millions of people around the globe.

Prince Talal has dedicated his life and efforts to alleviate the suffering of the poor groups in the developing world particularly the women and children. The noble efforts of H.R.H. have placed him among the leading philanthropists in the world and one of the most distinguished Arab personalities.

Public Functions

H.R.H. Prince Talal has assumed a number of public offices in the political and developmental fields, as follows:


Humanitarian and Developmental Activities

The activities and efforts of HRH Prince Talal in the field of development efforts started to take shape early in his life as he undertook a series of important tasks


The six regional Arab institutions that Prince Talal founded through AGFUND and in cooperation with other regional and international partners are:

1- The Arab Council for Children and Development established in 1987 in Cairo. ACCD aims at supporting and coordinating efforts for serving the needs of Arab children, ensuring their incorporation in the national development plans and encouraging the implementation of pioneer projects. ACCD came as an outcome of the efforts and initiatives of H.R.H. Prince Talal to establish supreme councils and national committees for motherhood and childhood

2- Arab Women Center for training and Research (CAWTAR) established in 1993 in Tunisia in recognition of the achievements of Arab Women in the last two decades, as a major force in the development of the Arab Society. CAWTAR is the only regional Non-Governmental network that aims at coordinating efforts between policy makers, civil society organizations, donors and experts in order to empower and improve the status of Arab Women

3- Took the initiative of establishing the Arab Network for Non-Governmental Organizations (Under establishment).  Founded in 1997, to replace the Follow-up Committee for Arab NGOs (1989 - 1997), following the recommendations of the Second Conference of Arab NGOs organized by AGFUND in Cairo. It aims at unifying and coordinating Arab non-governmental efforts for the attainment of human development and serving Arab communities

4- The Arab Network for Non-Governmental organizations (under-establishment) founded in 1997 to replace the Follow-up committee for Arab NGOs (1989-1997). Since 1984, AGFUND under the leadership of H.R.H. has been leading a movement in the Arab world to empower NGOs and to ensure that they become capable and effective partners in achieving the goals of human development.

5- H.R.H. masterminded the idea of establishing an Arab Open University with the aim of expanding higher education in the Arab world

6- Initiated the idea of the AGFUND International Prize for Pioneering Development Projects, 1999

Decorations and prizes

In recognition of H.R.H. prince Talal's contributions and efforts in the fields of development, on national, regional, and international levels, several governments, organizations and institutions have decorated him with a number of prestigious medals and prizes.