Faith in Action: Islamic Philanthropy as a Catalyst for Stronger Gulf-Africa Partnerships
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Faith in Action: Islamic Philanthropy as a Catalyst for Stronger Gulf-Africa Partnerships
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October, 2023
Every year, between US$ 250 billion to US$ 1 trillion is deployed in Zakat and Sadaqa in and from Muslim-majority countries. Estimated to run into tens of billions of dollars annually, Saudi Arabia collects 2.5% of net Zakat-taxable earnings, while Kuwait gathers 1% of earnings from public companies. Nevertheless, the Gulf’s considerable philanthropic contributions remain relatively unrecognised on the global stage. A sizeable portion of these contributions has been directed to Africa- a region that has attracted growing Gulf attention when it comes to investments and cultural exchange in the past decade.
As Gulf countries aim to transition towards a more structured and strategic approach to philanthropic giving, the philanthropic sector in Africa faces similar challenges stemming from fragmentation and insufficient documentation. These disparities have created an opportunity for both regions to work together, leveraging Islamic philanthropy as a vehicle to fortify regional ties and enhance the effectiveness of Islamic philanthropic efforts while being responsive to the unique contexts of each region.
This report investigates potential collaboration avenues for strengthening Gulf-Africa relations through Islamic philanthropy. It highlights the distinctive considerations and challenges specific to Africa while also examining ways to elevate the strategic nature of Gulf’s Islamic philanthropy in the African context.
Read the full brief here.