As Western nations scale back their foreign aid budgets to historic lows, Emirati strategist Abdulla N. Khoory argues that Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have both the capacity and moral imperative to lead a new chapter in global development.
DUBAI, UAE / ACCESS Newswire / November 11, 2025 / Drawing on years of field experience and detailed economic analysis, Abdulla N. Khoory suggests “The Gulf has the means, the values, and the proximity to reshape how the world thinks about development,” Khoory says. “What we need now is structure – a system that turns generosity into measurable progress.”
The research, part of Fiker Institute’s ongoing work on global governance and international development, documents an unprecedented shift in global aid architecture. Major Western donors, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, have simultaneously cut foreign aid for consecutive years for the first time in three decades.
Gulf states have already emerged as major development actors. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar now contribute billions annually in development assistance, achieving higher contribution ratios than both the United States and the European Union. GCC nations account for a growing share of global humanitarian funding.
Islamic finance mechanisms provide a distinctive framework. The instruments of zakat (obligatory almsgiving), sadaqah (voluntary charity), and waqf (charitable endowments) designate recipients as stakeholders rather than beneficiaries, according to Khoory’s publication. These mechanisms operate on principles of dignity (karama), collective responsibility (amaanah), and social justice (‘adl).
“When framed as South-South cooperation rather than transactional aid, GCC giving becomes a vehicle for regional resilience and solidarity,” Khoory writes in the publication. “The goal is not to replicate or displace the West, but to build a more plural, grounded, and equitable development architecture.”
Reforms to Unlock Potential
Abdulla N. Khoory outlines three core reforms that could enable the region to reach its philanthropic potential:
1. Institutional Infrastructure
- Establish unified nonprofit registries and mandatory disclosure requirements to strengthen oversight and reduce duplication.
- Integrate philanthropy within national development strategies, positioning it as a contributor to GDP and job creation.
2. Human Capital and Social Innovation
- Invest in talent pipelines and research fellowships to professionalize the third sector.
- Support social entrepreneurs in high-impact markets such as Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco to expand the Gulf’s developmental footprint.
3. Private Sector Mobilization
- Introduce tax incentives and streamlined registration for corporate donors.
- Position philanthropy as “social R&D”, where risk-taking and experimentation are viewed as public value creation.
Implementation has begun in some areas. Saudi Arabia has set a target for its nonprofit sector to reach 5% of GDP by 2030. Khoory suggests establishing National Centers for Nonprofits or regional coordination platforms to improve capital deployment across the GCC, positioning philanthropy as “social R&D” that tests solutions governments implement more slowly.
As global aid becomes increasingly fragmented, Khoory’s analysis reframes the Gulf not as an emerging donor, but as a central architect of a more plural and equitable development order. His vision points to a future where generosity is measured not by the size of budgets, but by the depth of impact and the dignity it preserves.
About Abdulla N. Khoory
Abdulla N. Khoory is an Emirati strategist and entrepreneur focused on social innovation, philanthropy, and systems design. He holds a Master’s in Education from Harvard University and was previously a Senior Manager at Expo Live, Expo 2020 Dubai’s $ 100 million social innovation program, which funded 140 enterprises across 76 countries and reached over 6 million people. He is the co-founder of NAWA, Oracle’s global partner for government digitization in emerging economies, and the founder of Two Point Five, a philanthropy advisory firm advancing transparent, data-driven giving across the GCC.
About the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
The Gulf Cooperation Council is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union comprising six Arab states of the Arabian Gulf: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Established in 1981, the GCC promotes economic, security, cultural, and social cooperation between member states and holds a combined GDP of approximately $2.1 trillion. The Council represents one of the world’s most significant concentrations of sovereign wealth and plays an increasingly influential role in global economic and development initiatives.
Media Links
Full Publication:www.fikerinstitute.org/publications/gulf-philanthropy-international-development
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdullakhoory1/
Media Contact:
Inmā Emirates Holding
Phone: +97143422222
Email: media@inmaemirates.com
Website: https://www.inmaemirates.com/
SOURCE: Abdulla N. Khoory
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire