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Sustaining and stimulating innovation in the new House of Wisdom
The Prophet said, "The Most righteous of people is the one who brings the greater good to the community." Because of this, the most beneficial of all deeds is one that continues to bear fruit for generations to come. Waqf has been an essential component in the building of Islamic civilization.
- The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Through the generosity of King Abdullah, KAUST has been established as a waqf to provide perpetual support to his bold vision. KAUST will be a beacon of peace, hope, and wisdom, aspiring to advance scientific research for the benefit of the people of Saudi Arabia and the world; create a knowledge-based society; and provide the basis for a sustainable and diversified economy.

A major objective of the KAUST Waqf is the preservation of KAUST’s academic freedom and financial independence. The KAUST Waqf structure offers the opportunity for the Kingdom’s leadership and its visionaries, their supporters and well-wishers to support this objective by contributing to the growth of this waqf. The perpetual nature of a waqf will be one of the strongest pillars to support KAUST in its advancement of scientific research for the benefit of our youth, and of future generations in the Kingdom and the world around us.

According to the principles of Islam, a waqf is encouraged for mankind to benefit future generations and advance scientific knowledge.

An unrestricted waqf will benefit the University in perpetuity and can be supported through real estate, land, or other real property assets; or in the form of financial instruments and other liquid assets.

Funds are often established to provide perpetual support, such as chairs, scholarships, or continuation of academic programs. These types of gifts are often referred to as endowment and would be contained within the KAUST Waqf.

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Your Living Gift

University Development will be happy to discuss your thoughts and desires to add to the KAUST Waqf. The KAUST Waqf can accommodate support from donors within Saudi Arabia as well as internationally. For example, The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Trust was established in Guernsey and funded through revenues earned by the Government through oil production operations in Saudi Arabia to hold a portion of the Waqf on behalf of the University as beneficiary. Northern Trust, a global financial institution with operations worldwide, including in Saudi Arabia, serves as trustee of the trust, and can accept donations of any size on behalf of the trust from donors across the globe. 

University Development can also discuss any alternative waqf or endowment that you may desire to establish, provided they support the University’s vision, strategic and academic objectives, and are of a sufficient size to yield a meaningful annual income.

Our Commitment to You

We promise integrity, transparency, and the respectful treatment of all donors and their gifts. We also commit to the principles of good stewardship, and we work to ensure the highest standards in philanthropy.