Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Foundation (the MiSK Foundation) ( ar, مؤسسة الأمير محمد بن سلمان بن عبدالعزيز مسك) is a
non-profit foundation established by
Saudi Saudi may refer to:
* Saudi Arabia
* Saudis, people from Saudi Arabia
* Saudi culture, the culture of Saudi Arabia
* House of Saud
The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is c ...
crown prince
Mohammad bin Salman in 2011.
History
Created in 2011, the MiSK foundation was initiated by
Mohammad bin Salman, then advisor to the Governor of
Riyadh. The name of the Foundation comes from "misk" ("
musk" in English); the perfume is a symbol of generosity and benevolence. The Foundation's work is focused on
education,
culture and
media.
The MiSK Foundation launched the Tweeps Forum in 2013, an annual networking event connecting the Saudi youth with
social media leaders, gathering speakers such as
Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and
Ivanka Trump.
In October 2015, the MiSK Foundation was one of the main partners of the 9th
UNESCO Youth Forum in
Paris. In September 2016, the two organisations signed a Framework Agreement to collaborate on the development of youth, education, emerging technologies, culture, and science. The 7th International Forum of NGOs was held in Riyadh in May 2017 in partnership with the MiSK foundation.
In 2017, the Foundation became a "member company" of the
MIT Media Lab consortium.
The MiSK Art Institute, launched in 2017, is the artistic branch of the MiSK Foundation. MiSK led the Saudi pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale, organizing an exhibition by the
Jeddah
Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...
-based Saudi artist
Zahrah Al Ghamdi. Saudi Codes is an educational program that is implemented in partnership between Misk, the
Saudi Ministry of Education and the Communication and Information Telecom Company (STC). MiSK Foundation launched in 2019 Growth Accelerator program to support tech start-ups in MENA region. In collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Hajj, MiSk Foundation has launched Misk AL-Mashaer initiative that aims at recruiting volunteers to help pilgrims during Hajj season.
In November 2018, a month after the
Saudi government agents murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was l ...
pulled funding from the foundation. The decision ended a joint initiative between the Gates Foundation and the MiSK Foundation called the ''MiSK Grand Challenges'', which made grants to organisations around the world working to create innovative solutions to development challenges. In 2017, the Gates Foundation had committed $5 million to the MiSK Grant Challenges. “Jamal Khashoggi’s abduction and murder are extremely troubling,” said the Gates Foundation in a statement.
In the beginning of 2019, MISk foundation signed partnership contracts with 500 Startups to promote
entrepreneurship. In the same year, a group of young male and female Saudis represented the foundation in the Youth 20 Summit (Y20) held in Japan.
In April 2022, MiSK Foundation acquired 96% ownership of the
Japanese video game company
SNK.
See also
*
Jeddah Economic Forum
*
Public Investment Fund
*
World Economic Forum
References
External links
* {{Official site, url=https://misk.org.sa/en/about-misk/?lang=en
Business organisations based in Saudi Arabia
Non-profit organisations based in Saudi Arabia
Organizations established in 2011
2011 establishments in Saudi Arabia