The Global Partnerships Forum presented the award to Jafar in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Tonga to the United Nations during the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. Other honorees at the ceremony included Jose Ramos-Horta, president of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as well as Ann Aerts, head of the Novartis Foundation, and Srgjan Kerim, president of the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly. Jafar, who also serves as chief executive of Crescent Enterprises, accepted the honour at UN headquarters from Amir Dossal, founder and president of the Global Partnerships Forum.
Dossal stated that Jafar’s recognition reflected more than three decades of work demonstrating the power of collaboration between business and philanthropic sectors. “Badr Jafar embodies the very essence of the Changemaker Award. Over three decades of dedicated work and achievement, he has demonstrated the power of collaboration between the business and philanthropic sectors, and the impact of effective partnerships, in driving tangible progress,” Dossal said. “His leadership and commitment serve as an inspiration to professionals across sectors, encouraging them to continue working toward sustainable and inclusive development.”
Jafar is convening a series of special meetings at the UAE Mission to the United Nations this week on investment in the water sector ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted. Additional sessions focus on the role of strategic philanthropy in supporting the African Union’s Agenda 2063 in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency and on artificial intelligence and inclusive growth with the Emirates Foundation. The UAE is co-hosting the 2026 UN Water Conference with Senegal, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The National reported that Jafar has stressed the importance of aligning business and philanthropy to address gaps in global humanitarian funding by directing private capital toward useful applications. A senior Emirati official highlighted during the current UN General Assembly that such partnerships can help bridge shortfalls in international aid. Jafar’s role as special envoy involves building these connections across investors, donors and governments.
The UAE has expanded its philanthropic initiatives in recent years, including a campaign launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to save five million children from hunger that raised more than 2.822 billion dirhams from over 44,000 contributors, Al Etihad newspaper reported. Separate health efforts have targeted river blindness, aiming to benefit seven million people directly and 35.4 million indirectly over three years. These programmes illustrate the shift toward long-term sustainable solutions that complement Jafar’s awarded approach.
Jafar’s work aligns with broader UAE foreign policy priorities that integrate economic tools with development goals, a PwC Middle East assessment of GCC digital and sustainability transformation found. The special envoy has also engaged on responsible artificial intelligence frameworks through partnerships such as one between the Emirates Foundation and the Responsible AI Foundation. Such activities during the UN high-level week underscore ongoing efforts to scale impact through cross-sector collaboration.
