Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, head of the Kingdom Holding Company in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, announced today that he will donate $5 million to the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research. The Foundation was created this year to support biomedical research and academic programs that will both advance new scientific knowledge and create a regional community of leaders in science and medicine. In a recent meeting with Dr. Joseph Martin, Dean of Harvard Medical School; Dr. Robert Thurer, Chief Academic Officer of Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC); Dr. Robert Crone, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harvard Medical International; and Salem bin Dasmal, a member of the Board of Directors of Dubai Healthcare City, Prince Al Waleed talked about his commitment to supporting academic growth and progress in the region.

Prince Al Waleed has given his support to numerous philanthropic endeavors, including significant contributions to universities fostering greater understanding between the West and the Arab World, as well as generous donations to support natural disaster relief. In making this most recent philanthropic gift, he emphasized his high regard for the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister. Sheikh Mohammed recently made a donation to the Foundation to create the Maktoum Harvard Medical Library, which will be a state-of-the-art medical knowledge centre based at the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center Institute for Postgraduate Education and Research (HMSDC).

“We are sincerely grateful for this wonderful gift from Prince Al Waleed bin Talal,” said Thurer, Chief Academic Officer of HMSDC. “His strong commitment to supporting academic growth will be a great asset in developing medical research and education in the Gulf Region.”

Thurer added, “Our role at HMSDC is to make sure that the strategic partnership between Dubai and Harvard Medical School develops a new population of academic leaders who will build a thriving research community.”

The Foundation plans to raise $100 million to create a permanent endowment, which will generate funds to sustain medical education, create scholarship and fellowship programs, and develop research centers in life sciences.

Foundation programs will be implemented through the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center, which will also develop collaborative scientific and medical research between regional laboratories and Harvard Medical School.

Membership in the Foundation offers philanthropists the opportunity to drive biomedical research in a number of critical disease areas, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders affecting children, among others. Founder Members will also join the Foundation Council and take their place alongside a small number of like-minded individuals who want to develop with Sheikh Mohammed a vision of world-class healthcare and research.

For further information please email dhfmr@hms.harvard.edu, or contact Jasmin Mehovic, Program Coordinator, at +1 617-535-6400.