In a new international recognition of his medical, academic and humanitarian career, Professor Abdallah Raweh received the “Golden Knight Award – Communication Award” as part of the International Grand Prize of Venice – Golden Lion (Gran Premio Internazionale di Venezia – Leone d’Oro), during an institutional ceremony held at the Italian Senate, Palazzo Giustiniani – Sala Zuccari in Rome, on 12 October 2026.

The award was presented to Professor Raweh in recognition of his ability to combine medical and scientific excellence with the delivery of a global humanitarian message based on knowledge, solidarity and hope, placing human life, dignity and the intrinsic value of every individual at the heart of his professional, scientific and humanitarian mission. The awarding body also stated that the honour reflects his role in making communication a means of disseminating medical knowledge, educating new generations, and strengthening dialogue among cultures, peoples and institutions.

Professor Abdallah Raweh is regarded as one of the prominent international figures in cardiac surgery, with a career that combines surgical and academic work, scientific research, international healthcare cooperation and humanitarian initiatives. Throughout his career, he has contributed to the treatment of patients from different countries and communities, while also devoting particular attention to training physicians, transferring expertise and promoting the concept of medicine as a mission that extends beyond the boundaries of hospitals to serve humanity and society.

The statement accompanying the honour noted that Professor Raweh’s humanitarian work, including support for children and cardiac patients in the most disadvantaged communities, has added a further dimension to his mission, stressing that science fulfils its highest purpose when it is transformed into healthcare, solidarity and opportunities for a better life. The awarding body also stated that communication in his experience is not limited to words or the dissemination of scientific knowledge, but is also embodied in example and practice, and in the physician’s ability to raise awareness, bring communities closer together and promote a culture of health, responsibility and human fraternity. (TV Numero Uno)

Following the presentation of the award, Professor Abdallah Raweh said:

“I take great pride in this honour because it is connected to a principle I have believed in for many years: medical knowledge does not realise its full value if it remains confined to operating rooms, laboratories or universities. It becomes more valuable when we are able to transfer it to others and transform it into awareness, hope and a new opportunity for life. A physician does not treat a patient through scientific skill alone, but also through the ability to communicate, build trust and share knowledge with new generations of doctors.”

He added:

“Cardiac surgery has taught me that every decision made inside the operating room carries a profound human responsibility, while my years of academic and humanitarian work have taught me that science knows no borders. I therefore believe that true communication in medicine means being able to transform experience into shared knowledge, knowledge into service, and service into a sustainable impact on human life.”

Raweh stressed that rapid developments in medicine, artificial intelligence and health technology make responsible scientific communication more necessary than ever, explaining that “possessing knowledge is no longer enough; the real challenge lies in how to communicate it accurately and responsibly, how to use it to confront misinformation, improve health literacy, and bring the latest scientific advances closer to patients and communities.”

He continued:

“I believe that a physician carries two interconnected responsibilities: to continue learning and to share what has been learned. Experience that is not passed on to the next generation loses part of its value, and innovation that does not reach the patient does not fulfil its full purpose. From this perspective, communication becomes part of the very essence of medical practice rather than an activity separate from it.”

Professor Abdallah Raweh dedicated the honour to every physician, researcher, nurse and technician who places the human being at the forefront of their priorities, as well as to the patients who have placed their trust in him throughout his career, stressing that the greatest awards remain “for a physician to see a person regain their life, and to know that knowledge acquired, experience transferred, or a word spoken was the reason for making a real difference.”

The ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Italian Senate, in the presence of figures from the fields of medicine, culture, media and institutional work. According to the organisers, the event was held under the umbrella of the Leone d’Oro Committee, affiliated with the International Grand Prize of Venice, whose structure includes a number of specialised committees in the fields of medicine, culture, economics, media and others. Professor Abdallah Raweh also appears as a member of the award’s Presidential Committee and holds the position of President of Leone d’Oro International Institutions and Vice President of Leone d’Oro per la Medicina, according to the official website of the organising body. (Leone d’Oro)

This honour follows a series of awards and recognitions received by Professor Raweh during 2026, including honours linked to his career in cardiac surgery, scientific research, international medical cooperation and humanitarian work, reflecting the breadth of his experience from the operating room to the academic, institutional and humanitarian spheres. (mebusiness.ae)

In Professor Raweh’s case, the significance of the “Communication Award” is not limited to media communication in its traditional sense, but is connected to a broader concept based on communication through science, education, medical practice and humanitarian work; in other words, transforming medical knowledge from expertise held by an individual into a shared legacy from which generations, institutions and communities can benefit.

The honour at the Italian Senate reflects a professional journey that has combined excellence in one of the most precise medical specialities with a vision that sees the physician’s responsibility as extending beyond the completion of a surgical procedure to the transfer of knowledge, the development of institutions, the training of new generations, and the transformation of medicine into a bridge of communication between peoples.

Professor Abdallah Raweh

Internationally renowned cardiac surgeon and international academic; Honorary President of the University of Salerno in Italy; Vice President of the University of Lugano in Switzerland; Professor of Cardiac Surgery at the Catholic University of Rome; and Professor of Cardiac Surgery in London – United Kingdom.