King Abdul Aziz Endowment for Al-Ain Al-Azizia

The King Abdul Aziz Endowment for Al-Ain Al-Aziziya is a Saudi charity and the namesake of the founding King Abdul Aziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, who endowed Al-Aziziya Spring to supply water to Jeddah Governorate. The Endowment works to sustain its assets and resources, innovates creative solutions for delivering its services to beneficiaries, and adheres to the highest professional standards in philanthropy.

Ain Al-Aziziya's management headquarters is located in the Jeddah governorate and has a supervisory board responsible for the Endowment administration, headed by the Governor of Makkah Region. The Endowment also employs a Secretariat for the regulation of its affairs that oversees several departments and divisions.

Ain Al-Aziziya was established in 1947 by the order of King Abdul Aziz following the breakdown of the coal-fired “Kindasa”, which operated using coal to distill water vapor and was the only source of fresh water in Jeddah Governorate at the time.  A royal decree was issued, accompanied by a historic document that detailed all aspects and provisions of the endowment.

The Endowment has primarily focused on delivering fresh water from Wadi Fatima to Jeddah Governorate via a 70-km-long route, where water wells were drilled and springs were leased in Wadi Fatima and Wadi Khulais in order to deliver fresh water to Jeddah Governorate.

As modern saltwater desalination techniques became available and desalinated water networks reached all neighborhoods of Jeddah governorate, the Endowment expanded its projects to include the establishment of desalination plants in a number of villages in Jeddah; provision of water canisters to worshippers in mosques; contribution to payment of water bills for charitable associations; distribution of drinking water canisters to pilgrims arriving at King Abdul Aziz International Airport; and assistance of charities by distributing drinking water.

Besides existing endowment projects, Ain Al-Aziziya carries out a wide array of charitable activities, such as the establishment of nursing homes for the elderly; the construction of accommodations for pilgrims; and support for water network maintenance projects in Jeddah Governorate.

Ain Al-Aziziya resources are from proceeds of leasing or selling land and real estate owned by the Endowment, investment of Endowment funds, alongside the Endowment's broad network of partnerships with a multitude of government agencies, private sector establishments, and nonprofits.