Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed al-Salmi, Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, today issued a decision (No. 281/2020) setting up a ‘Health Endowment Fund’ (HEF).

The decision states that a fund to be known as Endowment Fund for Enhancing Health Services shall be established and shall adhere to the following.

- In all its works, the HEF shall adhere to Sharia code provisions, laws and systems on regulating endowment funds.

- Its funds will constitute revenues to be invested in enhancing activities and programmes of health services in the Sultanate.

- The HEF shall come under the direct supervision and monitoring of the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, which will audit the fund’s tasks.

In general, the HEF seeks to support health services and realize a set of goals, including the following:

- Achieving social collaboration and espousing responsibility towards the individual and society.

- Exploring new and diverse sources of support to health services.

- Reactivating the developmental role of Endowment (Waqf) in health services and raising citizens’ awareness about the importance of this role while at the same time attracting donations (grants and wills dedicated to health services), setting terms and conditions to regulate them and finding the best means of investing and developing these donations.

- Promoting the health of individual and society through the utilization of the HEF’s cash and returns from its investments to finance medical treatment, set up health establishments (hospitals, polyclinics), procure medicines and purchase ambulances and necessary medical equipment.

- Support medical research.

- Managing the HEF’s financial resources, develop them and maintain their sustainability, as well as augmenting their revenues through a variety of means, including investment in real estate, industrial and agricultural fields, etc., within the purview of Islamic Sharia code regulating endowments.

The Minister also issued a decision naming the board of directors of the Health Endowment Fund empowering the HEF to operate for a period of five years—with the Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Sa’eedi as Chairman and the following officials as members: Dr. Ali bin Talib al-Hina’ee, Ahmed bin Abdullah al Khonji, Dr. Halima bint Qalam al-Hina’eeya, Sultan bin Khalid al-Busaidi, Nasr bin Amir al-Hosni and Ali bin Hassan al-Lawati.

The HEF may seek the assistance of anyone who might contribute to its tasks with his/her expertise, according to the decision, which also empowers the board of directors to have all the financial, administrative and legal prerogatives to manage the Health Endowment Fund and achieve its objectives. ONA