King Faisal Foundation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
King Faisal Foundation

مؤسسة الملك فيصل الخيرية
King Faisal Foundation.jpg
Formation1976
FoundersAbdullah Al Faisal
Mohammad Al Faisal
Khalid Al Faisal
Saud Al Faisal
Abdul Rahman Al Faisal
Saad Al Faisal
Bandar Al Faisal
Turki Al Faisal
TypePhilanthropic organization[1]
PurposeResearch, education, awards, human development, healthcare, humanitarian aid, donations
HeadquartersRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Khalid Al Faisal
(Managing Director)
Websitewww.kff.com

The King Faisal Foundation (KFF) is an international philanthropic organization established in 1976 with the intent of preserving and perpetuating King Faisal bin Abdulaziz’s legacy.[1] The foundation was set up by the sons of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It is one of the largest charities in the world.[2]

King Faisal International Prize[]

The foundation presents an annual prize, King Faisal International Prize, to "dedicated men and women whose contributions make a positive difference". The foundation awards prizes in:

  • Service to Islam
  • Islamic studies
  • Arabic Language and literature
  • Science
  • Medicine

Each of the five annual prizes consist of a certificate hand-written in Diwani calligraphy summarizing the laureate's work; a 24 carat 200 gram gold medal—uniquely cast for each winner; and a cash prize of SR 750,000 (USD $200,000). The prizes are awarded at a ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by the King of Saudi Arabia. The first King Faisal International Prize was awarded to the Pakistani scholar Abul A'la Maududi in the year 1979 for his service to Islam.

King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies[]

The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) was established in 1983 to continue the mission of the late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz in transmitting knowledge between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world. Based in Riyadh, the Center is an independent, not-for-profit institution financed by the King Faisal Foundation. The Center is dedicated to serving Islamic civilization, supporting continuous research, and encouraging cultural and scientific activities in a number of fields.[3]

The objectives of the Center[]

The Center has several objectives and summarizes its mission as follows:

  • To raise awareness about the contribution of Islamic civilization to human heritage and to highlight the main distinguishing features of Islamic civilization;
  • To raise public awareness about the late King Faisal b. Abdul Aziz, of his great humanity and remarkable qualities of leadership, and to highlight his central contribution to, and continuous support for Islamic Solidarity;
  • To support research in areas related to Islamic civilization, to develop it along scientific lines, and to encourage researchers and students at all academic levels;
  • To help train a new generation of scholars specialized in the fields of Islamic studies, Arabic language, and the social sciences;
  • To help promote and preserve the Islamic heritage by organizing annual exhibits at the Center;
  • To organize lectures, conferences, and symposia, of both a general and specialized nature, on issues vital to Islam and to Muslims and to their roles in the present and in the future, linking today’s Muslims to the roots of Islamic culture;
  • To continue to build libraries through the acquisition of resources relating to any aspect of Islamic civilization, and to make the Center one of the principal resources on Islamic civilization worldwide;
  • To develop specialized databases in fields relating to the mission of the Center and its areas of specialization, thus enhancing the library services available to researchers and students at the Center;
  • To translate scientific treatises and research into foreign languages, and to translate a variety of works into Arabic, when such translation would be of service in achieving the aims and objectives of the Center;
  • To support and encourage research that falls within the Center’s interest.[1]

The Library[]

The Library's collection covers the fields of Islamic Studies and Islamic Civilization. At present, there are more than 250,000 volumes in Arabic and Latin languages. There is also a collection of rare and out-of-print periodicals and more than half a million articles. A separate audio-visual research library has more than 11,000 audio and videocassettes, slides, and films, which contain lectures and documentary material related to the Center’s various activities and interests.

Manuscripts Library[]

As part of the Foundation’s contribution to preserving Islamic culture and highlighting the contributions made by Muslim and Arab scholars, The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies has undertaken the challenging mission of locating, authenticating, acquiring, or copying, and indexing all known Islamic manuscripts worldwide. In addition to nearly 23,000 hand-written texts, some of which are more than 1,200 years old, the manuscript archives have more than 18,000 microfilms and hundreds of photocopies. The majority of the microfilms are acquired through mutual agreements with the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris, the Library of Congress, and the British Library. Databases save researchers up to 70% of the time they would normally spend searching catalogs for information pertaining to manuscripts located elsewhere in the world.[4]

King Faisal International School[]

King Faisal International School (KFS) is a school that was established in 1991 that operates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The goal of the institution is to develop young people through a rigorous national and international program of study. The school offers education for children aged 4–17.[5] The institution has been the first in Saudi Arabia to:

  • Apply IB curriculum in Saudi Arabia in all levels (PYP-Preschool, PYP, MYP and DP)
  • Launch the Civics Education Program, resulting in nation-wide application of the course
  • Translate the Montessori Program + IB documents into Arabic
  • Have an international outlook as a Saudi national private school
  • Be pictured from outer space by NASA
  • Participate in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Translation competition[6]

Alfaisal University[]

Alfaisal University is a private, not-for-profit (teaching-oriented) institute of higher education located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Founded in 2002 by the King Faisal Foundation as a nonprofit student-centered and research-focused university, Alfaisal University opened its doors and admitted its first 80 students in 2008. Alfaisal's total enrollment now exceeds 2500. The university aspires to be a world-class research university committed to the creation, dissemination, and application of knowledge in the fields of business, engineering, life sciences, and medicine, and to the development of knowledge-based economies.[7][8]

Effat University[]

Effat University is a private non-profit institution of higher education for women located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The establishment operates under the umbrella of King Faisal Charitable Foundation. Effat College was founded in 1999 by Iffat Al Thunayyan and the children of King Faisal. Princess Lolowah Al Faisal played a prominent role in its founding, from raising funds, developing the curriculum, overseeing construction to the hiring of faculty and staff. Sara bint Faisal is the chair of the board of founders and board of trustees, while Lolowah is vice-chair and general supervisor of the university. The inauguration of its three colleges, the establishment of the Research and Consultancy Institute, and success achieved on the academic, education and social levels, paved the way to becoming a university. Effat University is considered the first private woman college in Saudi Arabia.[9][10]

Painting and Patronage[]

The King Faisal Foundation is also involved in promoting greater cultural and artistic ties between Europe and Saudi Arabia, principally through the Painting and Patronage initiative which was launched in 1999.

See also[]

  • List of things named after Saudi Kings

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "King Faisal Foundation". Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Faisal Foundation receives Sultan Bin Owais Award". 7 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  3. ^ "King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies". Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  4. ^ "Sultan bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation". Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  5. ^ "King Faisal School (SA)". Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  6. ^ "King Faisal School (KFS)". Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Alfaisal University (KFF Page)". Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Effat University (KFF Page)". Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Effat University". Retrieved 5 April 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""