H.E. Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, OIC Secretary General, chaired the second meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Waqf Fund of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy on the morning of Tuesday, 24 Shaaban 1442, corresponding to 6 April 2021. His Excellency opened the meeting by paying tribute to the late Professor Abdul Salam Al-Abbadi, the former Secretary of the Academy – may Allah have mercy on him. He also praised the appreciated efforts of Prof. Koutoub Sano in advancing the Academy by developing its performance, stressing the important role of the Academy in unifying the voice of Muslims at all levels and providing a balanced environment that enhances solidarity among OIC Member States in light of the intellectual challenges facing the Ummah. He called on the Member States on this occasion to support the Academy at all levels so that it can accomplish its mission in the best possible way.

His Excellency also pointed out that the establishment of the Academy’s Waqf Fund was of great importance to provide a stable and regular resource to implement its activities, programs and initiatives contained in its strategic plan. His Excellency stated that entrusting the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) with the investment of the Waqf Fund’s assets was a positive and effective measure, given the IDB’s vast experience in this field. His Excellency concluded his speech by stating that he would do his utmost in his capacity as OIC SG to incite Member states to make donations to the Academy’s Waqf Fund.

In his welcome address, H.E. Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, President of the Academy, thanked H.E. Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen for his continuous support to the Academy, and thanked the members of the Board of Trustees for their participation. He then commended the blessed and successful steps taken by H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the Academy since he took office, especially his commitment to recover the arrears of the member states. His Excellency also stressed that he looked forward to the Waqf Fund taking its place among the major Islamic institutions and achieving the desired objective of its establishment, namely to provide the necessary funding to implement the Academy’s strategic plan.

H.E. Prof. Koutoub Sano, Secretary General of the Academy and Secretary of the Waqf Fund’s Board of Trustees, expressed his thanks to the honorable participants for their active participation and concern for the future of the Academy. Furthermore, on behalf of all the members and experts of the Academy, His Excellency expressed his condolences on the former President of the Academy and the former Secretaries General as well as to the members and experts who have left this world for the hereafter. Then, His Excellency presented to the members of the Board the topics on the agenda, and after deliberations and suggestions, the meeting took several decisions, notably:

– Approving the general collection policy of Awqaf and donations in cash and kind for the Academy’s Waqf Fund.

– Approving the accounting rules and regulations of the Waqf Fund.

-Approving the Islamic Development Bank’s assignment to invest the Waqf Fund’s assets and funds.

The meeting was attended by His Excellency Dr. Saad bin Nasser Al-Shathri, Advisor to the Royal Saudi Court, Member of the Council of Senior Scholars, and His Eminence Dr. Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Haddad, Grand Mufti of the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.