Hedayah

What Hedayah does

Hedayah is the International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), established under UAE Federal Law No. 7 of October 2013 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi. It operates as an independent international organization with a staff of 11–50, focused on reducing violent extremism through evidence-based programs, strategic communications, and applied research. Its primary constituents are national governments developing National Action Plans, civil society organizations implementing community-level CVE programs, educational institutions, families affected by extremism, and religious leaders. Over 10 years, the organization has executed 200+ activities reaching 21,000+ beneficiaries across 100+ countries.

The organization's core portfolio consists of specialized platforms, training curricula, and research assets. The Counter Extremism Hub is an interactive global CVE web portal; MASAR ("path" in Arabic) is a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) platform; the Counter Narrative Library aggregates counter-extremism campaign content across languages; and the Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF) Programs Catalogue is a structured database across the radicalization–recruitment–travel–reintegration lifecycle. These are complemented by regional CVE Training Curricula (MENA, Central Asian, and Georgian editions), thematic research programs such as "Understanding & Preventing Extremism Online in Southeast Asia," and recent research on AI for counter-extremism. STRIVE Global, the EU-funded flagship initiative, has executed 39 projects across 11 countries.

Hedayah does not operate a commercial pricing model. It is funded through government grants and institutional partnerships — including the European Union (STRIVE Global), the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Government of Spain — and delivers capacity-building, training, and technical assistance directly to governments and civil society partners. Distribution occurs through direct government engagement, civil society partnership programs, and self-serve online resources. Governance is provided by an International Steering Board (chaired by H.E. Maqsoud Kruse since February 2026) and an International Advisory Board, structures the organization cites as supporting its independence and neutrality.

Name

Hedayah

Legal name

Hedayah, the International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism

Website

https://hedayah.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hedayah is the International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, established under UAE Federal Law and headquartered in Abu Dhabi. It delivers evidence-based CVE training, research, and strategic-communications programs to governments, civil society, and communities across 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Countering Violent Extremism Services

NAICS

National Security (928110), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Counterterrorism & Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) Cooperation (BPADAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Countering violent extremism
• CVE training programs
• Counter terrorism research
• Radicalization prevention services
• International security consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Abu Dhabi

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: Hedayah is established under UAE Federal Law No. 7 of October 2013 and operates as an independent international organization. The organization receives funding from governments and international organizations to implement CVE programs globally.
2. Program Implementation Services: Capacity building, training programs, and technical assistance provided to governments and civil society organizations for implementing CVE strategies and National Action Plans

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hedayah is the International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, providing capacity-building programs, training curricula, research, and strategic communications to governments and civil society organizations globally. It delivers evidence-based CVE programs, operates online resource platforms (Counter Extremism Hub, MASAR, Counter Narrative Library), and runs flagship initiatives such as the STRIVE Global program across 100+ countries.

Product overview

Hedayah operates as the International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), offering an integrated portfolio of platforms, training programs, and research resources. Its core offerings include: the Counter Extremism Hub (interactive CVE web portal), MASAR (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning platform), Counter Narrative Library (resource collection), and FTF Programs Catalogue (database). These are supplemented by regional CVE Training Curricula (MENA, Central Asian, and Georgian editions), research publications, and thematic programs addressing online extremism prevention. The organization functions as a knowledge hub and capacity-building provider rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MASAR: A suite of resources to support Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) in the counter extremism sector, meaning 'path' or 'trajectory' in Arabic.
• Counter Extremism Hub
• Counter Narrative Library

Products and services

• Counter Extremism Hub An interactive global CVE web portal that brings together relevant actors working in the field of countering extremism and violent extremism, providing resources, publications, and a monthly newsletter for practitioners.
• MASAR (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Platform) A suite of resources (meaning 'path' or 'trajectory' in Arabic) to support Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) in the counter extremism sector, including training activities and publications like 'Evaluate Your CVE Results' for national governments and civil society.
• Counter Narrative Library A collection providing practitioners and civil society organizations with counter-narrative content and materials from existing campaigns, including videos, articles, government campaigns, social media campaigns, comic books, documentaries, and podcasts across multiple languages and regional collections.
• Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF) Programs Catalogue A catalogue of existing programs sponsored by or led by countries that UN member states may find useful for their national context, categorizing programs across four key categories: radicalization to violent extremism, recruitment and facilitation, travel and fighting, and return and reintegration.
• CVE Training Curriculum - MENA Edition A training curriculum for government and civil society workers providing structured training on countering violent extremism with ten learning modules, a facilitator's guide, slide presentations, handouts, and pre-recorded webinars, financed by the EU STRIVE Global Program.
• CVE Training Curriculum - Central Asian Edition A training curriculum adapted for Central Asian contexts, providing structured training on countering violent extremism with learning modules available in English and Russian.
• CVE Training Curriculum - Georgian Edition A training curriculum adapted for Georgia, produced by Search for Common Ground in collaboration with Hedayah and adapted by the Georgian Center for Strategy and Development (GCSD).
• Understanding & Preventing Extremism Online in Southeast Asia A program funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) that launched qualitative research studies to support online counter-extremism activities in Indonesia and Malaysia, including country reports on the current media and information landscape.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 activities benefiting 21,000+ people across 100+ countries over 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Neem InstitutecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Local implementation partner in Nigeria for Supporting Families in Countering Violent Extremism program, supporting survivors and empowering families.
• ZDK Society Democratic Culture (HAYAT)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2011German partner for HAYAT program, providing counseling on radicalization in Berlin and East Germany, operating since 2011 as partner of German Federal Office.
• Religious Rehabilitation Group (Singapore)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2003Voluntary group of Islamic scholars and teachers in Singapore, established April 2003, providing rehabilitation counseling and community outreach.
• International Steering BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernance body providing guidance and oversight to ensure Hedayah remains independent and neutral. Led by Chairman H.E. Maqsoud Kruse.
• International Advisory BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultative body operating in support of Hedayah's organizational mandate and International Steering Board, providing expert advice.
• Search for Common GroundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for CVE Training Curriculum, producing training materials for government and civil society workers in the countering violent extremism field.
• Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal think tank partnered on Counter Extremism Hub development, supporting interactive global CVE web portal for practitioners.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerrorism Prevention Branch partner for capacity building program strengthening CVE cooperation among South and South East Asian countries.
• ufuq.deminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBerlin-based association cooperating with Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, engaged in youth work on Islam in Germany, producing educational materials.
• Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right (CARR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for CARR-Hedayah Radical Right Counter Narratives Project, creating online toolkits for radical right extremist counter narrative campaigns.
• Eurasia Foundation of Central AsiaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch partner for study on Role of Educational Institutions in Building Resilience in Kyrgyz Republic, supported by STRIVE Global program.
• National Counter Terrorism Commission of TunisiacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGovernment partner for capacity building program on Supporting Children and Youth Vulnerable to Radicalization, conducted between January 2019 and November 2019.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Sixth International CVE Research Conference 2019 in Melbourne, Australia.
• UNESCOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal intervention partner on PVE-E (Preventing Violent Extremism through Education) conducting teacher activity kit development.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Soufan Group: US-headquartered intelligence and security advisory firm delivering strategic consultancy and training on counter-terrorism and CVE to governments and corporates. Comparable premium advisory positioning to Hedayah's government clientele.
• Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF): Geneva-based public-private partnership dedicated to community-level PVE funding in fragile states. Comparable mission and funder base, and a direct competitor for the same pool of prevention grants.
• Search for Common Ground: International peacebuilding NGO that co-produces Hedayah's regional CVE Training Curricula (MENA, Central Asia, Georgian editions). Operates a closely comparable model of CVE capacity-building through local partners in conflict-affected states.
• Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD): London-headquartered think tank operating one of the largest counter-extremism practitioner networks globally. ISD is also an existing Hedayah partner on the Counter Extremism Hub web portal, making it the most direct operational peer.
• International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT): The Hague-based independent knowledge centre producing counter-terrorism research, policy advice, and capacity-building. Overlaps directly with Hedayah's research-and-advisory mandate on radicalization and foreign terrorist fighters.

Broad incumbents

• International Crisis Group: Global conflict-prevention organization working through field-based research and policy advocacy in fragile states. Overlaps with Hedayah on prevention, governance, and radicalization drivers, particularly in MENA and Africa.
• Royal United Services Institute (RUSI): London-based defense and security think tank with a long-running counter-terrorism research program. While much broader than Hedayah, it competes for the same Western government security research grants.
• US Institute of Peace: US congressionally funded institute generating research and operational programs on conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Comparable in delivering training, applied research, and policy advice on extremism and violent conflict prevention.

Emerging players

• Moonshot CVE: Tech-native CVE organization focused on redirecting individuals away from extremist content online. Represents the emerging digital counter-narrative approach that increasingly overlaps with Hedayah's MASAR and Counter Narrative Library work.
• Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right (CARR): Research partner for Hedayah's Radical Right Counter Narratives Project, working on toolkits for online counter narrative campaigns. Comparable research-led focus on radical-right extremism and counter-messaging.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hedayah_cve
• Facebookfacebook.com/Hedayah.CVE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hedayah

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hedayah