Bahrain establishes unified council to oversee Sunni and Jaafari endowments
The council established under royal decree by King Hamad
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain has issued a royal order establishing the Council of Islamic Endowments Affairs, a unified body to oversee both Sunni and Jaafari Shi'ite Islamic endowments under a single institutional framework.
Under order No. 18 of 2026, the council will be chaired by Nawaf bin Mohammed Al Maawda, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments. The council comprises a 12-member board appointed for a four-year term.
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The council will be responsible for overseeing Sunni and Jaafari Shi’ite Waqf affairs in the kingdom. The move aims to strengthen governance and coordination of Islamic charitable endowments through a unified institutional umbrella, while preserving the administrative and religious specificities of each sect.
Islamic endowments, known as Waqf, play a significant role in funding mosques, religious activities and charitable initiatives across Bahrain and the wider Gulf region.
Al Maawda said the unified council would serve as a regulatory, strategic and supervisory body overseeing the endowments sector in Bahrain, in support of institutional development and the principles of governance, efficiency and sustainability.
He said the council would be responsible for formulating general policies for the endowments sector, supervising and monitoring its work, and approving plans and strategies aimed at developing endowments and maximising their societal impact to strengthen their developmental role.
Al Maawda said the Sunni Endowments Administration and the Jaafari Endowments Administration would continue as the executive bodies responsible for managing and implementing the affairs of each endowment within a unified regulatory framework designed to enhance institutional integration and reinforce governance and transparency principles.
He added that the establishment of the council represented a significant step towards modernising the endowments system by improving the management efficiency of endowment assets and supporting the financial sustainability of investment returns through the development of endowment portfolios in line with modern administrative and investment practices.
The minister said the council would also contribute to unifying institutional efforts and developing regulations and bylaws governing endowment work to improve efficiency and governance.
He added that the council would prepare a comprehensive strategy for organising and developing the endowments sector and establishing unified objectives and policies aimed at creating a modern and sustainable endowments system aligned with leading regional and international practices, while enhancing the contribution of endowments to community service and development.
Bahrain, home to both Sunni and Shi’ite communities, has in recent years pursued administrative and legal reforms aimed at improving institutional efficiency and public sector governance.
