Culture as a Space for Diversity. We view Arab culture as a space for generating knowledge through creativity and critical thinking, and as an open space for linguistic, ethnic, racial, religious, and social diversity, rather than as a homogeneous cultural identity.

Culture as an Opportunity for Participation. We believe that Arab cultural production should not be limited to the most prominent institutions and voices, but should also encompass underrepresented practices and experiences. We therefore work to expand access to support for artists, writers, researchers, and emerging cultural institutions, particularly those marginalized by their geographic location or social, economic, or political circumstances. Our commitment is reflected in the design of our programs, our application and evaluation processes, and the composition of our juries.

Contemporary Arab Culture as an Open Question. We do not view contemporary Arab culture as a fixed entity, but as a field that is continuously shaped through artistic, scholarly, and critical practices, as well as through the interaction of languages, identities, and lived experiences. We therefore support projects that expand the horizons of expression, critical inquiry, and imagination, while opening new ways of understanding and representing Arab culture.

The Past as a Space for Interpretation. We believe in the importance of preserving cultural memory and safeguarding archives and bodies of knowledge, especially those at risk. This enables the recovery of narratives and experiences that have been marginalized by dominant discourses. At the same time, we support practices that engage with history and archives as spaces for questioning, critical interpretation, and generating new meanings for the present.

Experimentation as a Creative Imperative. We support projects that rethink forms of expression and modes of production and reception, and celebrate intellectual and artistic risk-taking as a catalyst for new knowledge and practices. We also invest in promising ideas before they mature or gain broader recognition.

Culture as a Way of Imagining the Future. We invest in artists, writers, researchers, and cultural institutions—both established and emerging—to support voices and approaches that contribute to the development of new forms of cultural production and to shaping the future of Arab culture.

Grants. We award approximately 250 grants annually through open calls for applications. These grants are distributed across seven core grant programs: Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Documentary Film, Music, Creative and Critical Writings, Training and Regional Events, and Cinema, as well as other special programs that address regional and emerging needs.

Long-term Institutional Support. Our support is not limited to funding individual projects; it extends to strengthening independent cultural institutions, thereby enhancing their capacity for sustainability and development. We develop programs that invest in the institutional infrastructure of cultural organizations, as well as in their administrative, organizational, and financial capacities, based on our conviction that the sustainability of the cultural scene depends on the sustainability of the institutions that shape it.

Training and Mentoring. In addition to grants, we develop training and mentoring programs to build the skills and strengthen the capacities needed by artists and cultural practitioners, such as the Women in Film program, the Arts and Culture Entrepreneurship program, and the Arab Documentary Photography Program.

Knowledge Production and Sharing. Our database, which includes more than 22,000 applicants and 2,600 supported projects, serves as a valuable resource on cultural trends, artistic production, its social impact, and the geographical contexts in which it takes place. We share this knowledge through reports, visual materials, stories from our grantees, and research studies.

Linking Culture to Other Sectors. We are guided by the conviction that culture intersects with social issues, public policy, justice, human rights, the environment, and research. We therefore develop programs and initiatives that foster dialogue between the cultural sector and other fields, thereby reinforcing the role of culture in understanding and responding to social change.

Building Support Networks. We believe that building connections among cultural practitioners in the Arab world and the diaspora is just as important as supporting projects. We therefore foster collaborations that emerge among participants in our programs and, through meetings, workshops, and conferences, facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and the development of new partnerships, with a special focus on Arab cultural practitioners in the diaspora and on engaging diaspora audiences in the discussions sparked by these projects.

Expanding the Circle of Supporters of the Arts and Culture. We work to promote a culture of philanthropy in support of the arts and culture and to strengthen partnerships with the private sector and engagement with individuals in order to diversify the sources of funding available to artists, writers, researchers, and independent cultural institutions across the Arab world.
Building an Audience for Culture. We seek to expand access to cultural production and foster engagement among broader, more diverse audiences, driven by our conviction that the arts and culture can be powerful agents of transformation.

Program Integration. We view our programs as an integrated system rather than as separate initiatives. Grants, training, knowledge production, partnership building, institutional support, resource mobilization, and audience development work together to strengthen the ecosystem in which art and culture are produced.

Freedom of Expression. We defend freedom of expression and independent artistic practice, and provide spaces that enable artists, writers, and researchers to develop their work and ideas while freely exploring a wide range of themes and approaches.

Independence. We safeguard our institutional and artistic independence from political influence, while recognizing the impact of politics on cultural practice. We develop our programs without allowing political or ideological considerations to shape our priorities or decisions.

Transparency. We balance the independence of our grant-making decisions with transparency in their implementation by ensuring clear procedures, publicly announcing grant decisions, and adhering to established timelines. We are also committed to accountability and good governance in the management of our resources and programs, thereby fostering trust among our grantees, partners, and supporters.

Pluralism. We operate on the conviction that Arab culture is shaped by a diversity of languages, identities, and experiences, rather than by a single identity or narrative. We view pluralism as a prerequisite for generating new knowledge and expanding the possibilities of Arab culture in the present and future. We therefore ensure that our jurors, readers, trainers, and experts reflect the diversity of the cultural landscape across the Arab world and the diaspora, as well as the wide range of contexts in which they work.

Valuing Potential. We view the evaluation process as a dialogue among practitioners who share the applicants’ interests, questions, and challenges. The role of the jury goes beyond assessing the quality of projects; it extends to identifying the potential and vision of each applicant, recognizing ideas that may help propel Arab culture toward new horizons. Through our ongoing selection of jurors, we ensure that our grants reflect the diversity of cultural experiences in the region and create space for voices and practices that push the boundaries of what is possible in art and culture.

Flexibility. We adopt a flexible institutional model that keeps pace with shifts in the cultural landscape, developing our programs and operational mechanisms to respond to the diversity of creative practices and different contexts. Recognizing that culture in the Arab world is produced amid economic crises, wars, displacement, restrictions on freedoms, and unequal opportunities, we develop support tools that respond to these changing conditions and enable artists, writers, and researchers to continue their work.

Building the Cultural Ecosystem. We are guided by the conviction that the sustainability of culture depends not only on supporting artists and institutions, but also on building a more integrated cultural ecosystem. Accordingly, we do not merely respond to existing conditions; we seek to strengthen those areas where the cultural ecosystem itself is lacking. Whenever we identify a shortage of resources, knowledge, partnerships, or spaces for exchange and learning, we work to transform these gaps into programs, initiatives, or partnerships that benefit the entire cultural sector. In this sense, we grow alongside the cultural scene we support, contributing to the structures and relationships that artists and institutions need to thrive.