Alwaleed Philanthropies Holds Board of Trustees Meeting

Alwaleed Philanthropies (AP), chaired by HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz AlSaud, held the Board of Trustees meeting of Alwaleed Philanthropies- Saudi Arabia (Registration no.77- Saudi) and Alwaleed Philanthropies – Global (registration no- 333) at the foundation’s headquarters in Riyadh on Wednesday January 11, 2017.

The meeting was attended by members of the Board including HRH Prince Khaled Bin Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz AlSaud, First Deputy Chairman of the Board, HRH Princess Reem Bint Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz AlSaud, Second Deputy Chairperson of the Board, HRH Princess Lamia bint Majed AlSaud, Secretary General of Alwaleed Philanthropies, His Excellency Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ms. Nada AlSugair, Executive Director of Finance and Administration of HRH’s Private Office and the Treasurer of Alwaleed Philanthropies, Dr. Sheikh Ali Al Nashwan, Religious Advisor to His Highness.

In his opening remarks, His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed, Chairman of the Board, first congratulated his Excellency Dr. Yousuf Al-Othaimeen on his new position as Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and welcomed all the members and Alwaleed Philanthropies representatives. The opening remarks focused on the importance of continuing to empower Saudi women in several fields, most importantly ensuring equal opportunity for both genders in society and in the work force. Finally, Prince Alwaleed praised HE Dr. Al-Othaimeen for his support of women rights within his new position at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as it is in line with Alwaleed Philanthropies’ areas of focus. His Royal Highness concluded his speech by praising AP for its achievements and expressed his appreciation for its efforts in this regard.

Following the opening, the members exchanged views and discussed the agenda where Princess Lamia presented the foundation’s projects during 2016 and their impact on future performance. Her Royal Highness then presented a brief summary of Alwaleed Philanthropies’ progress during the past 37 years as follows:

• In the 1980s, Prince Alwaleed also supported education heavily during that period, by distributing 360,000 copies of the Quran translated into 13 different languages, in addition to printing and distributing 10,000 copies of scientific, religious and literary translated books. Additionally, Prince Alwaleed supported the construction of roads, bridges and tunnels, wells and mosques, as well as lighting and infrastructure.
• Following the 90s, Princess Lamia then shed light on AP’s work in disaster relief through responding to the earthquake in Egypt, the Gulf War, and the war in Bosnia, the War in Bangladesh, and the Palestinian refugee crisis.
• Throughout 2000-2010, Alwaleed Philanthropies focused on women and youth empowerment along with promoting cultural and religious understanding, which was a driving factor to launch the six Prince Alwaleed Centers in prestigious universities around the world to teach tolerance and urge communities to exchange peaceful dialogue.

One of its greatest achievements for 2016 is reaching out to 205,281,486 beneficiaries in one year through 40 ongoing projects, in partnership with 65 organizations that are both governmental and private. “After 36 years of working in more than 124 countries, Alwaleed Philanthropies has reached a level of maturity and so it is time to initiate AP’s projects based on what we have experienced on-ground with our partners,” said HRH Princess Lamia, Alwaleed Philanthropies’ Secretary General.

Ms. Nauf Al Rawaf, Executive Manager of the International Initiatives, presented the department’s achievements in 2016 that include:

• The Global Polio Eradication Initiative in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation that aims to improve the standard of living for individuals all over the world.
• The Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) in collaboration with Bill Gates and members of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition in their commitment to invest in energy technologies.
• The Housing and Car grant project, which aims to provide 10,000 housing units and 10,000 cars to Saudi citizens throughout the Kingdom over the duration of 10 years.
• In partnership with Save the Children, Alwaleed Philanthropies launched 10 centers that offer rapid response to humanitarian disasters across the world.
• In partnership with Reach Out to Asia (ROTA), Alwaleed Philanthropies empowered local communities by providing access to quality primary and secondary education to children.
• In partnership with Turquoise Mountain to educate a new generation about reviving Afghan traditional arts and architecture as well as creating jobs for women and youth.
• Centers meeting to promote understanding between cultures and encourage dialogue amongst different religions.
• The Giving Pledge is a global effort to help address society’s most pressing problems by encouraging the wealthiest families to give the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

 

Ms. Nauf Al Rawaf then highlighted the importance of aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals in the future strategy, specifically addressing the road map to achieving SDG#5 empowering women.

Ms. Amal Al Kathiri, Executive Manager, who leads the National Initiatives, highlighted the department’s initiatives in 2016 that include:

• The ongoing 10,000 housing units, 10,000 car grants program to benefit 10,000 Saudi families over the duration of 10 years.
• The Legal Program for Female Lawyers “Wa’iya” in partnership with Faisal Al Tayea Legal Firm. The training conducted aims to qualify Saudi women who are looking to pursue a career in the field of Law.
• In partnership with Turquoise Mountain Institute, Alwaleed Philanthropies supported the development of the Afghan community and empowerment its women and youth.
• Ambassadors of Peaceful Dialogue initiative in partnership with King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue that seeks to promote and develop channels of intellectual dialogue among Saudi citizens, different segments of Saudi society and Saudi institutions.
• The National Growth Mindset Initiative ‘Yanmu’ in partnership with Dimam, Injaz Saudi Arabia and The Talent Enterprise that aims to foster crucial life and career skills for students across chosen schools in Riyadh and Jeddah.
• Esma’any Center for the Deaf and Mute in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD) dedicated to providing round-the-clock services for people with hearing and speech impairments.

Ms. Amal Al Kathiri then highlighted the policies and procedures as well as the plan for AP’s upcoming projects.

Finally, the Media & Communication department explained the impact of working towards awareness campaigns in 2016 and highlighted that the campaigns have reached more than 105 Million people around the world. Some of the most prominent social media campaigns were:

• Orboun Khair initiative in partnership with Al-Wafa Women’s Philanthropic Association in Riyadh as part of its commitment to supporting local communities by paying off mini market debts.
• Initiated an awareness campaign against domestic violence in cooperation with the National Family Safety Program to highlight domestic violence and encourage battered and abused women to speak up.
• Initiated a campaign aiming to prevent and limit the spread of begging practices during the holy month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia.
• In partnership with the UNHCR, Tweet for Heat campaign shed light on the life threatening weather conditions millions of refugees and internally displaced are facing amid dwindling resources and for many in fragile makeshift shelters.

As for its 2017 strategy, its plan is to become make-decisions based on data, with a focus on funding innovative solutions to face global challenges. The last and most important factor is being a thought leader in the humanitarian sector, and ensure appropriate partnership opportunities with experts in the field.

For over 37 years, Alwaleed Philanthropies has supported and initiated projects in over 124 countries regardless of gender, race, or religion. We collaborate with a range of philanthropic, government, and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief and create cultural understanding through education. Together, we can build bridges for a more compassionate, tolerant, and accepting world.