Islamic Development Bank Prize Laureates Deliver Lectures on ‎their Award-Winning Projects

The two recipients of the 2025 Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics, under the Development Solutions Achievement category, delivered lectures on ‎their award-winning projects at the IsDB Headquarters in Jeddah on 22 October 2025.

In separate presentations, Mr. Afdhal Aliasar, team leader of the Medikids project, and Mr. Salah El Sadi, Founder&CEO of Blue Filter, discussed their prize-winning projects and highlighted the ways in which their initiatives generate both social and economic impact. The session was chaired by Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, Acting Director General of IsDB Institute.

These two solution-driven development projects were recognized in the ‘Development Achievement’ category of the Prize for their innovative and meaningful contributions in advancing the principles of Islamic Economics.

During the lectures, both presenters shared their experiences and the motivations behind the development of their respective platforms. They showed how integrating sustainable social objectives with a business model could generate income and sustain project operations.

Medikids achieved first place for its groundbreaking waqf initiative, which addresses key challenges in waqf management across Indonesia. The program dedicates a portion of net waqf profits to upgrading waqf assets and supporting a variety of social welfare initiatives.

The Blue Filter initiative secured third place for its groundbreaking work in developing a prototype designed to purify water by removing harmful contaminants. This innovative solution combines natural filtration techniques with advanced automation and control systems, resulting in a sustainable and highly efficient method of water purification.

A video recording of the lectures is available on IsDB YouTube channel here (https://apo-opa.co/48SD9AE).

The IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics, administered by the IsDB Institute, rewards outstanding achievements in two categories, offered in alternate years, namely (i) Development Achievement and (ii) Knowledge Contribution.

Nominations are now open for the 2025-2026 cycle of the prize, which is for the Knowledge Contribution category. More information is available on the IsDB Prize Portal here.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).

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About the Islamic Development Bank Institute:
The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) is the knowledge beacon of the Islamic Development Bank Group. Guided by the principles of Islamic economics and finance, the IsDB Institute leads the development of innovative knowledge-based solutions to support the sustainable economic advancement of IsDB Member Countries and various Muslim communities worldwide. The IsDB Institute enables economic development through pioneering research, human capital development, and knowledge creation, dissemination, and management. The Institute leads initiatives to enable Islamic finance ecosystems, ultimately helping Member Countries achieve their development objectives. More information about the IsDB Institute is available on https://IsDBInstitute.org/