Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's career as a civil servant, political leader, diplomat and statesman spans 45 years of great service. Tun Badawi has held various positions in government, including Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Minister of Education, Minister of Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance. Excelling in diplomacy and international relations, as Prime Minister, Tun Badawi sought to improve bilateral and multilateral cooperation, actively leading (among others) the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) when Malaysia assumed the chair of these international organisations. The World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), of which Tun Badawi is the Founder Patron, continues to be an important gathering of government and business leaders from the Muslim world and beyond.

Through the several advisory roles at he holds at Petronas and Malaysia Airlines, and several government departments, he continues to focus on human capital development, which has gone beyond merely strengthening lower and higher education in Malaysia, to enhancing mindsets and infusing ethical, moral and religious values. Science and technology have been further promoted, while innovation and creativity have been pushed to the fore. He remains committed to pursuing development, promoting progressive Islam and enhancing understanding between the Muslim and Western worlds.