Humanitarian and Developmental Activities

The activities of HRH Prince Talal and his developmental efforts started to take shape early in his life as he undertook a series of important tasks:

• Sponsored, in the early fifties, scholarships for a large number of Saudi youths to study in foreign universities at his own expense.
• Founded the first school for vocational training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1954.
• Founded the first girls' school in Riyadh in 1957.
• Gave as a gift His Al-Zahra' Palace in Makkah Al-Mukarramah to the Saudi Government to become the first college for boys.
• Founded the first private hospital in Riyadh in 1957, allocating 70% of its capacity to the free treatment and 10% for the treatment of children. He later donated the hospital, which is now known as “King Abdul Aziz University Hospital” to the Saudi Government.
• Launched in 1980 his initiative to establish the Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND) to support the efforts targeting sustainable human development in the developing world.
• Based on his strong belief in the role of the institutional work in achieving the goals of sustainable human development, Prince Talal has played a leading role in the establishment of several unique regional Arab institutions that were not existing. The major goal behind these initiatives is to ensure cooperation, coordination and partnership between various effective players in the development fields, namely; Governments, private sector, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, media and specialized researchers and scientist are all joining efforts, through these regional institutions, to alleviate the suffering of the poor and to assist them to become active citizens able to participate in leading the Arab societies towards a better future.

In this context, Prince Talal, founded through AGFUND and in cooperation with other Regional and International partners six regional Arab institutions:

• The Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD)
  established in 1987 in Cairo. ACCD aims at supporting and coordinating efforts for serving the needs of the Arab children, ensuring their incorporation in the national development plans and encouraging the implementation of pioneer projects. ACCD came as an outcome of the efforts and initiatives launched by H.R.H. Prince Talal to establish supreme councils and national committees for motherhood and childhood.
• Arab Women Center for Training and Research (CAWTAR)
  established in 1993 in Tunis in recognition of the achievements of Arab Women in the last two decades, as a major force in the development of the Arab Society. CAWTAR is the only regional Non-Governmental network that aims at coordinating efforts between policy makers, civil society organizations, donors and experts in order to empower and improve the status of Arab Women.
• The Arab Network for Non-Governmental Organizations ,
  founded in Cairo in 1997 to replace the Follow-up committee for Arab NGOs 1989-1997. Since 1984, AGFUND through the leadership of H.R.H. has been leading a movement in the Arab world to empower NGOs and to ensure that they become capable and effective partners in achieving the goals of human development. The Network was officially proclaimed in 2002.
• The Banks for Poor , H.R.H. initiated in 1998 the establishment of these banks to provide micro-credits to the poorest groups in the Arab World. The banks aim at assisting the poor to be self-reliant and to break the cycle of poverty that impedes the achievement of their dreams and hopes to live in dignity.
• Arab Open University (AOU) ,
  H.R.H. masterminded the idea of establishing an Arab Open University with the aim of expanding higher education in the Arab world. In 2000, Kuwait was announced as Headquarters of the AOU, to have its branches in t5he other Arab countries.
• Founded the Saudi Society for Education and Rehabilitation for the welfare of children suffering from Down syndrome.
• AGFUND International Prize for Pioneering Development Projects , initiated by H.R.H, with the aim of encouraging and honoring pioneering developmental actions in the developing countries. The Prize was awarded for the first time in 1999.