NEW YORK, 14 July 2026 - On the sidelines of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, in partnership with the Saudi General Authority for Awqaf (GAA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), convened a high-level roundtable entitled “Unlocking Sustainable Development Finance: Governance, Impact Measurement and the Future Role of Awqaf.”

The event brought together senior government officials, UN leaders, representatives of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), development finance experts and international partners to explore ways of strengthening the role of Awqaf as an effective driver of sustainable development through enhanced governance, robust impact measurement and expanded international cooperation. At a time when the international community is seeking innovative solutions to bridge the financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the discussions highlighted the growing relevance of Awqaf as a long-term, values-based financing mechanism capable of generating sustainable social and economic impact.

Opening the roundtable, Ms. Nahid Hussein, UNDP Resident Representative in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, underscored the importance of partnerships and knowledge exchange in advancing innovative financing solutions for sustainable development. She noted that unlocking the full potential of Awqaf requires strong institutions, effective governance and sustained cooperation across countries and sectors.

In his keynote address, H.E. Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz M. Alwasil, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UN, reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to multilateral cooperation and highlighted the transformation of the Saudi Awqaf sector under Saudi Vision 2030.He noted that recent reforms have strengthened governance, transparency and institutional efficiency, further positioning Awqaf as an important contributor to the Kingdom’s sustainable development agenda.

Building on this vision, Dr. Bandar bin Abdulwahab Alamer, General Supervisor of the Riyadah Center at GAA, explained that Waqf represents a sustainable institutional model founded on the preservation of the endowed asset and the continuity of its benefits across generations. Through this model, charitable giving is transformed from temporary support into lasting development impact. He also highlighted the historic and civilizational role of Awqaf in financing education, healthcare and social services, noting that the Saudi experience seeks to modernize and strengthen this model through governance, transparency, digital transformation and institutional capacity development.

Dr. Alamer further presented the Waqf Excellence Index (AEI), developed by the Riyadah Center in partnership with UNDP, as a framework for assessing institutional maturity, governance, performance and impact. The AEI is designed to support continuous improvement and strengthen the alignment of Waqf institutions with the SDGs.

From a global development perspective, Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS), addressed the growing importance of innovative financing mechanisms in accelerating progress towards the SDGs. He emphasized that stronger governance, effective impact measurement and institutional excellence are essential to unlocking the full development potential of Awqaf and expanding their contribution to sustainable development.

The discussions also featured practical experiences and emerging opportunities in the sector. Mr. Tufeeq Alghamdi, General Manager of Enablement and Development at GAA, shared insights into the institutional reform journey of the Saudi Awqaf sector and the practical application of the WEI. Eng. Faisal Al-Fadl, Secretary-General of the Saudi Green Building Forum (SGBF), highlighted the potential role of Awqaf in supporting sustainable urban development and environmental sustainability through innovative partnerships and green investments.

The international dimension of the dialogue was further strengthened by the participation of H.E. Ambassador Hameed Ajibaiye Opeloyeru, Permanent Observer of the OIC to the UN in New York, who stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation among OIC Member States, and Dr. Fawaz Sabri, Senior Adviser on SDG Finance and Innovative Finance at UNDP, also outlined how innovative financing instruments and Waqf-based models could help mobilize sustainable resources while preserving long-term value and impact.

As countries continue to explore innovative pathways for financing sustainable development, the roundtable affirmed that Awqaf possess considerable potential to become an increasingly important instrument in supporting the achievement of the SDGs. By bringing together a centuries-old Waqf tradition with modern approaches to governance, institutional excellence and impact measurement, and by fostering stronger international cooperation, GAA and UNDP are helping shape a renewed vision for the future role of Awqaf in financing sustainable development.