Misk Foundation

Misk Foundation
Mohammed bin Salman "MiSK" Foundation
مؤسسة مسك
Formation2011; 13 years ago (2011)
FounderMohammed Bin Salman
TypeNon-profit organization
HeadquartersRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
Key people
Bader Al Badr (CEO)
SubsidiariesMohammed Bin Salman Nonprofit City
Ilmi Science and Innovation Centre
Manga Productions
Misk Schools
Riyadh Schools
Misk Art Institute
Websitemisk.org.sa/en/

Misk Foundation (stylized MiSK Foundation; Arabic: مؤسسة مسك), also known as Mohammed Bin Salman Foundation (Arabic: مؤسسة محمد بن سلمان), is a non-profit foundation established by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2011.[1]

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.[2] The Foundation's work is focused on education, culture and media.[3]

In 2017, the Foundation became a "member company" of the MIT Media Lab consortium.[4]

The MiSK Art Institute, launched in 2017, is the artistic branch of the MiSK Foundation.[5][6][7] MiSK led the Saudi pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale, organizing an exhibition by the Jeddah-based Saudi artist Zahrah Al Ghamdi.[8]

In November 2018, a month after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pulled funding from the foundation.[9] In 2017, the Gates Foundation had committed $5 million to MiSK. “Jamal Khashoggi’s abduction and murder are extremely troubling,” said the Gates Foundation in a statement.[10][11]

In April 2022, MiSK Foundation acquired 96% ownership of the Japanese video game company SNK.[12]

In April 2024, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced the opening of its first regional office in partnership with Misk in Mohammed Bin Salman Nonprofit City. The announcement was made during the World Economic Forum special meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Misk Foundation Partners with Bloomberg to Advance Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 with Major Investments in Financial Training and Global Market Capabilities | Press | Bloomberg LP". Bloomberg L.p.
  2. ^ "About MiSk". Misk.org.sa. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  3. ^ Elizabeth Dickinson (8 May 2017). "Q&A: Saudi nonprofit MiSK paves the way for youth". Devex.com. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  4. ^ Grif Peterson; Yarden Katz (30 March 2018). "Elite universities are selling themselves – and look who's buying". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  5. ^ Anna Somers Cocks (8 December 2017). "Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince launches institute to promote art in the Middle East". Theartnewspaper.com. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  6. ^ Siegfried Forster (12 October 2017). "L'art contemporain saoudien, une bonne surprise exposée à l'Unesco". Rf1.fr (in French). Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  7. ^ James Tarmy (29 January 2018). "Saudi Arabia Is Planning a Massive, New Arts Center". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Saudi Arabia returns to Venice Biennale after eight-year hiatus". theartnewspaper.com. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  9. ^ DiChristopher, Tom (November 2018). "Gates Foundation halts cooperation with Saudi crown prince's nonprofit after Khashoggi killing". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  10. ^ Roberts, Paul (2 November 2018). "Gates Foundation cuts ties with Saudi charity over journalist's murder". Seattle Times.
  11. ^ Denny, Andrew (4 November 2018). "Gates Foundation Pulls Funding From Saudi Charity Over Khashoggi Murder". Inquisitr.
  12. ^ Peters, Jay (5 April 2022). "SNK is now almost entirely owned by the Saudi crown prince's foundation". The Verge. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Gates Foundation to open first regional office in Mohammed Bin Salman Non-Profit City". Saudi Gazette. 2024-04-28. Retrieved 2024-04-29.