RIYADH, 16 March 2004 — The Al-Haramain Foundation, which has been accused by the United States of funding terrorism, is refocusing on Saudi Arabia, investing 80 percent of its efforts and $23 million in the Kingdom over the last 12 months, its new director-general said yesterday. “The foundation is moving more toward work in the Kingdom to support humanitarian and aid projects in cooperation with government bodies,” Sheikh Dabbas Al-Dabbas said.
Al-Haramain’s mission was to “help the needy, to serve Saudis and make them more aware of their religion,” he said.
Dabbas replaced Sheikh Aqil Al-Aqil, who was removed in January after 13 years in the job by Minister of Islamic Affairs Saleh Al-Sheikh, who is the chairman of Al-Haramain’s board of directors.
The organization figured among a number of Saudi charities accused by Washington of financing terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
In January, Riyadh joined the US Treasury in asking the United Nations to add four foreign offshoots of Al-Haramain to a list of terrorist groups linked to Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden and the Taleban.
