The Islamic Development Bank hosted a Philanthropy Forum at their Annual Meetings on Monday, April 29th, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre. The event, titled ‘Harnessing Philanthropy for Development: The Road Less Travelled’, featured renowned figures including Dr Muhammad Al Jasser, President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre, Princess Nouf bint Muhammad bin Abdullah, CEO of the King Khalid Foundation, Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises and Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy, Suliman Abdulaziz Azzabin, CEO of King Abdullah Humanitarian Foundation, Stanlake Samkange, Executive Director of the World Food Program, Danah Dajani, Senior Vice President at Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, and Naila Farouky, CEO of the Arab Foundations Forum.
The Forum began with a plenary conversation between Bill Gates and Badr Jafar, shedding light on Gates’s philanthropic journey and commitment to global health.
Gates expressed optimism, stating, “I see possibilities. We are making progress; the human condition today is better than ever before. Life expectancy is longer, more children survive past the age of five, and the opportunities to apply innovation to reduce inequality have never been greater. We can drive progress and we have made progress.”
Climate change took center stage, with Badr Jafar, who chaired the inaugural COP28 Business & Philanthropy Climate Forum, remarking, “Four months since COP 28 UAE and the historic UAE Consensus, the ‘whole of society’ approach envisioned by His Excellency Dr Sultan Al Jaber saw the most inclusive climate gathering ever. The ground-breaking results reinforced the need for authentic engagement of business and philanthropy in the climate action agenda.”
Bill Gates responded, “I think that COP meeting significantly exceeded my expectations. Not only was it hosted very well, but also the spirit shown by the businesses and philanthropists was very impressive. What we saw was a mixing of small innovative companies with big companies.”
The conversation then shifted to the evolving landscape and trends of giving in the Middle East and Africa. Badr Jafar highlighted, “Philanthropy is a $2 trillion per year sector, and I believe that in the Gulf Region we’re on the cusp of a transformation of philanthropic practice to more strategic giving that is impact driven and evidence-based.”
Bill Gates added, “I cannot overstate the impact that AI is going to have on every field of human endeavor. Whether it's discovering new drugs for healthcare intervention, delivering medical advice, or giving every kid a personal tutor that talks to them in their language, AI will revolutionize many aspects of our lives.”
