Arab Gulf Program for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND)
The Arab Gulf Program for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND) is a non-profit regional organization founded in 1980, upon the initiative of His Royal Highness Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, President of AGFUND, and with the generous support of leaders of the Arab Gulf States, that are active contributing members.
AGFUND aims to support human development efforts, including fighting poverty, promoting education, improving health standards, supporting institutional structures and the training of personnel, as well as all development efforts geared toward the neediest groups in developing countries, especially women and children.
Since its inception, AGFUND took part in financing 1242 projects in 133 countries, without discrimination on account of color, race, creed or political affiliation.
AGFUND believes that ensuring the sustainability of the desired development requires a sincere and determined will. Working to that end, AGFUND is focused on human beings, stemming from its conviction that to invest in human beings is to invest in the future.
AGFUND established a number of major projects, namely: the Arab Open University, and the Arab Network for NGOs, the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research, the Arab Council for Childhood and Development, the Arab Family Health Project, the Arab Strategy for Early Childhood Development, and the Banks for the Poor.
Proceeding from the conviction that the spread of knowledge among workers in the area of development would promote the exchange of experiences and support, the development of better methodologies of addressing the complex problems of poverty, social exclusion, and socio-economic marginalization of vulnerable groups, AGFUND set up the AGFUND International Prize for Pioneering Development Projects", to stimulate workers in the various areas, discover the best development projects, and honor those in charge of them, hoping that the creative aspects involved therein would motivate the implementation of similar projects in other regions.