Pakistani philanthropist bags ‘Global Man of the Decade’ title at prestigious awards in London

Pakistani philanthropist Dr. Amjad Saqib speaks during Capacity Building Session on Sustainability Disclosures and Reporting in Lahore on May 8, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Twitter/icapofficial)
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Updated 16 July 2023
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Pakistani philanthropist bags ‘Global Man of the Decade’ title at prestigious awards in London

  • Dr. Amjad Saqib is the founder of ‘Akhuwat Foundation’, world’s largest interest-free microfinance program
  • Pakistani entrepreneur Huma Fakhar bags the ‘Global Woman Inspiration Award’ at the ceremony in London

ISLAMABAD: Renowned Pakistani philanthropist Dr. Amjad Saqib received the ‘Global Man of the Decade’ award on Sunday during the Global Woman Awards 2023 ceremony in London, in recognition of his achievements in poverty alleviation and social development.

A development practitioner, Saqib founded Akhuwat Foundation in 2001, a microfinance institution that provides loans to the poor without charging interest on them. Akhuwat says it is the world’s largest interest-free microfinance program.

“I feel deeply honored and humbled to receive this global recognition,” Saqib said after receiving his award. “Thank you very much all. It is again a pleasure that I am receiving this award in the presence of so many leaders, men, and women who are changing this world,” he added.




Pakistani philanthropist Dr. Amjad Saqib gestures after winning the “Global Man of the Decade” honor at the Global Summit of Women 2023 in London on July 16, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Twitter/AkhuwatClgUni)

Saqib dedicated his award to the people of Pakistan and volunteers who are striving “to build a better world. A world free of poverty, exploitation.”

Meanwhile, Pakistani entrepreneur and social activist Huma Fakhar also walked away with an award at the ceremony. Fakhar bagged the prestigious ‘Global Woman Inspiration Award’ at the ceremony.

Fakhar, who is the founder and CEO of Soultana Rice and Map Capital organizations, was recognized for her inspirational work in business.

As per local media reports, Fakhar has also been encouraging entrepreneurship at the school level, especially among girls, in orphanages in Pakistan so they may be able to earn livelihoods for themselves.


Tunisian filmmaker wins $1 million AI Film Award

Updated 11 January 2026
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Tunisian filmmaker wins $1 million AI Film Award

DUBAI: The $1 million AI Film Award was given to Tunisian filmmaker Zoubeir Jlassi for his film “Lily” during the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai.

The prize was awarded by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

The prize was awarded by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority. (Supplied)

The award, organized by the summit in partnership with Google Gemini, was presented as part of the gathering that focuses on the content creation economy. The event, that ran from Jan. 9–11, brought together more than 15,000 content creators and influencers, alongside over 580 speakers and 150 CEOs under the theme “Content for Good.”

The AI Film Award received 3,500 film submissions. Entries underwent technical evaluation with Google Gemini to ensure at least 70 percent of the production used generative AI tools.

Following jury selection and public voting, “Lily” emerged as the winner from a final group of five nominees, which included “Portrait No. 72,” “Cats Like Warmth,” “HEAL,” and “The Translator.”