In late January, the UNDP Country Office in Riyadh welcomed participants to a workshop that brought together heritage and innovation. Hosted in partnership with Riyadah Center, the knowledge and empowerment arm of the General Authority of Awqaf, the event introduced “Awqafuna,” a digital platform designed to document the story of Islamic endowments across 14 centuries.

Led by Ms. Noura Al Bassam, the session presented Awqafuna as an emerging global reference on Islamic waqf. It showed how the platform serves not only as a documentation tool, but also as a space for academic research and dialogue on sustainable development.

Throughout the session, participants explored the historical evolution of endowments across time and place. The platform highlights the diversity of the waqf system across the Muslim world and its lasting role in shaping societies.

The discussion also examined the scientific and methodological foundations of the platform. Drawing on samples of waqf documents from the Hijaz region, Ms. Al Bassam demonstrated how these records provide insights not only into religious and legal matters, but also into economic life, architecture, social relations, and governance over the centuries. The analysis generated more than 45 findings and 27 key recommendations, including the potential to reconstruct urban maps of cities such as Mecca and Medina based on historical waqf boundaries.

One of the workshop’s key announcements was that Awqafuna is set to become the first verified participatory encyclopedia dedicated to Islamic endowments globally. Plans are also underway to develop an applied academic program that will train students to analyze waqf documents and integrate this work into curricula in history, heritage, and the social sciences. In parallel, the team has developed an advanced classification system with more than 300 informational components extracted from these records.

The conversation highlighted how the initiative aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. Historically, awqaf have played an important role in supporting communities economically and socially. By widening access to knowledge and encouraging exchange, the platform helps extend that legacy into the present.

At its core, Awqafuna is also a call for collaboration. Researchers, historians, and institutions around the world are invited to contribute to preserving and expanding this important body of knowledge, one that continues to speak to resilience, equity, and innovation.