Qatar's Amir donates $5million to Islamic research centre

Manama: Qatar's Amir Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has donated $5 million to the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA).

The donation will be used to support the centre and help fund its activities and programmes, said Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al Subaie, the chairman of the board of the Istanbul-based centre affiliated with the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Qatar News Agency reported on Tuesday.

He said that the Amir's contribution was made during his visit to the centre last week. The Amir's support will boost positive works and effective activities, Al Subaie said.

Shaikh Hamad was in Istanbul to participate in the Economic Summit of the COMCEC - OIC's Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation.

IRCICA site said that the donation would "particularly help some of the many varied projects within the framework of the 'Al Quds/Jerusalem 2015' programme."

The Amir also gave instructions for an appropriate formula to distribute the publications of IRCICA to universities in and outside the Muslim world, according to the site.