In a world full of religious conflict and cultural divide, HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Chairman of Alwaleed Philanthropies, made it one of his missions to help foster a more accepting and tolerant world.
Bridging cultures is a core principle of Alwaleed Philanthropies Global as we seek to contribute to a more compassionate, tolerant and accepting world. Culture plays a pivotal role in establishing avenues for dialogue and building deeper understanding across across borders and boundaries. Our programmes are dedicated to developing this understanding and strengthening the ties across and between local and global communities.
Committed to fostering understanding across cultures, promoting dialogue, and building stronger bridges among religions, Alwaleed Philanthropies established a number of prestigious academic research centers in the USA, the UK and the Middle EAst
Between 2003 and 2022, the foundation partnered with leading global universities to launch six academic research centers that help to bridge the gaps between global cultures and religions.
In the USA and Europe, the academic centers focus on Islam and Muslim societies, while those in the Arab world focused on American Studies.
The centers are:
In pursuit of enhancing cultural communication through art and culture, HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal proceeded his mission to eradicate discrimination and intolerance by becoming a patron to The Louvre Museum’s Islamic Art wing, where an endowment of more than 20 million Euros was granted. The Museum represents one of the richest collections of Islamic art worldwide. Alwaleed Philanthropies supported the construction of the Department of Islamic Art, which resulted in a spectacular new expanded space to present the Louvre's treasures of Islamic art to the public.
Because Museums have a significant influence on shaping the perceptions of cultural identities, making them vital to building more understanding and tolerant communities, Alwaleed Philanthropies then proceeded to form more partnerships with other prominent museums across Europe. These museums not only show case Islamic Art, but also support individuals through programs such as The International Multaka Network, an award-winning initiative which trains refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq as museum guides. Across 30 museums and institutions in Europe, more than 140 guides and cultural mediators have been trained.
ACN museums include:
The Museum of Islamic Art in the Pergamonmuseum, Berlin
Alwaleed Philanthropies aided in the creation and refurbishment of the Museum für Islamische Kunst, the largest in Germany containing over 93,000 artifacts with more than 9 million euros.
Additionally, the partnership works to support hundreds of refugees from Syria and Iraq to connect to their culture and heritage as museum guides through the Multaka programme.
Alwaleed Philanthropies Global and the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin also announced a series of projects which focused on enhancing the knowledge and understanding of Islamic and Middle Eastern art through the creation of a digital platform www.islamic-art.smb.museum, an online platform that brings to life the Museum für Islamische Kunst and is accessible for teachers, students, and the wider public to further the education of Islamic art and heritage. The platform allows people to pass through 360° virtual tours, as well as download teaching materials and access more information about the art and exhibits.
History of Science Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
supporting over 200 volunteers across two museums of the University of Oxford
Over the past ten years, it was one of Alwaleed Philanthropies goals to create synergy and leverage across all of our centres and museums. We are now happy to announce the creation of our initiative, the Alwaleed cultural network, which not only acts as a platform, but also acts as a catalyst for change by bringing all our partners together to help strengthen the ties between the East and the West.
