Developing Philanthropic Communities in the MENAT Region

In collaboration with the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research and the OECD Centre on Philanthropy, the Pearl Initiative is hosting a closed-door, in-person, interactive conference on Private Philanthropy for Development in the Middle East and North Africa. Philanthropic leaders will meet for the first time to formulate an ambitious agenda for how philanthropy, collectively, can tackle development challenges in social and business development, education, science, environment, and gender equality in the MENA region. The meeting will introduce new research on the formation of coalitions and collaboration in philanthropy and give philanthropists concrete opportunities to work together.

The conference will include a range of panels on pertinent topics in regional philanthropy, including on ‘Breaking the non-profit vs for-profit divide’ and ‘Social entrepreneurship in Philanthropy’, amongst others. The panels will feature industry experts and thought leaders, including Badr Jafar, CEO, Crescent Enterprises; Stavros Yiannouka, CEO, Qatar Foundation; and Noura Selim, Executive Director, Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, amongst others.

Kindly note that this is a closed session. If you are either an institutional or individual philanthropic donor in the Gulf region and are interested in joining the conference, kindly RSVP at snair@pearlinitiative.org.