DAFG

What DAFG does

DAFG – Deutsch-Arabische Freundschaftsgesellschaft e.V. is a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) under German law, founded on July 3, 2007, and headquartered at Wallstraße 61, 10179 Berlin. It functions as a bridge organization between Germany and the Arab world, convening political, economic, cultural, and educational dialogue across roughly 20 Arab states and Germany. Its core activities include expert discussions and delegation visits on regional geopolitics (Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, the GCC), Arabic language courses (Modern Standard Arabic and dialect tracks), school workshops (al musiqa – live! since 2021), a museum series on Islamic art, an archaeology lecture series with the German Archaeological Institute, cultural events (exhibitions, concerts, film festivals), and a Netzwerk Arabisch an Schulen initiative promoting Arabic language in German schools.

Governance combines a Board of Directors (Vorstand) — President Dr. Otto Wiesheu, four Vice Presidents, and a Treasurer — with an Advisory Council (Beirat) chaired by the Dean of the Arab diplomatic corps and comprising all Arab ambassadors accredited to Germany, plus sitting German Bundestag members. The Managing Director, Björn Hinrichs, runs day-to-day operations. DAFG employs between 11 and 50 staff and has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no funding rounds — it operates as a member-funded Verein.

DAFG's revenue model is structurally a non-profit membership and grant model: individual membership fees (with honorary, advisory, student, and reduced-income tiers), optional contributions from honorary and advisory members, corporate firm memberships, donations, project funding from German political foundations (notably Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung), and event-related income (e.g., concert tickets starting from €6.50). Pricing is not publicly disclosed for most services. Distribution is primarily through the Berlin headquarters for in-person events, nationwide school programs for al musiqa workshops, and Zoom-based online events for global reach. Marketing runs on a multilingual German/English/Arabic website, social channels (LinkedIn @DAFG_eV, Twitter @DAFG_eV, Facebook @dafg.eu), email newsletters, and annual activity reports (Tätigkeitsberichte).

Name

DAFG

Legal name

DAFG - Deutsch-Arabische Freundschaftsgesellschaft e.V.

Website

https://dafg.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DAFG (Deutsch-Arabische Freundschaftsgesellschaft e.V.) is a Berlin-based non-profit association, founded in 2007, that convenes political, economic, cultural, and educational dialogue between Germany and roughly 20 Arab states through expert discussions, Arabic language courses, school workshops, and cultural events, funded by membership fees, donations, and project grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The association generates revenue through annual membership fees. Individual members pay regular subscriptions, while honorary members and advisory board members pay optional contributions. Students and those with limited income receive reduced rates.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: DAFG receives donations and may have corporate sponsors through its firm membership program.
3. Event Revenues: Some events generate revenue through ticket sales, such as the Sinfoniekonzert Beyond Borders with tickets starting from €6.50.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DAFG – Deutsch-Arabische Freundschaftsgesellschaft e.V. is a registered non-profit association that promotes understanding, trust, and cooperation between Germany and the Arab world. Its offerings include individual and corporate memberships, Modern Standard Arabic and dialect language courses, expert political/economic discussions, cultural events (calligraphy workshops, film festivals, concerts), school music and cultural programs (al musiqa), and museum/archaeology lecture series. Membership, language instruction, and event participation are the core paid and engageable offerings.

Product overview

DAFG (Deutsch-Arabische Freundschaftsgesellschaft e.V.) is a German-Arab Friendship Association, a non-profit cultural and political organization. The organization does not offer a technology product, software platform, or digital services. Instead, it provides educational and cultural programming including Arabic language courses (High Arabic and dialect courses), cultural events such as calligraphy workshops, music programs (al musiqa), expert discussions on political and economic topics, school workshops, and various event series. The organization's activities span cultural exchange, educational programs, and bilateral dialogue between Germany and Arab countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• al musiqa – live!: School workshops bringing Arab music to educational institutions, organized by DAFG since 2021
• Netzwerk Arabisch an Schulen
• DAFG-Reihe 'Einblicke – Museen Islamischer Kunst stellen sich vor'
• DAI-DAFG Reihe 'Archäologie & Kulturerbe in der arabischen Welt'

Products and services

• DAFG-Privatmitgliedschaft (Individual Membership) Recurring annual subscription membership for individuals providing access to DAFG's cultural events, expert discussions, language courses, and member community; reduced rates for students and those with limited income.
• DAFG-Firmenmitgliedschaft (Firm Membership)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Konrad-Adenauer-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026German political foundation collaborating with DAFG on the 'Revitalizing Libyan-German Dialogue' program, hosting Libyan young professionals for exchanges in Berlin from June 8-13, 2026. Christina Baade, Head of the Lebanon Country Office, also participates in DAFG expert discussions on Lebanon.
• Hertie School Mashriq & Maghrib Policy ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026Student policy club at Hertie School that conducts background discussions with Arab ambassadors at DAFG headquarters, focusing on regional developments in Bahrain and the Gulf region, education, vocational training, energy, cybersecurity, and R&D cooperation.
• Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Dr. Makram Ouaiss, Executive Director of LCPS, participated in DAFG expert discussion on War in Lebanon, sharing analysis of the humanitarian crisis and stability implications.
• German Archaeological Institute (DAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint lecture series 'Archäologie & Kulturerbe in der arabischen Welt' presenting current archaeological research and cultural heritage work in the Arab world, held regularly in virtual format.
• Berlin MuseumsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Berlin museums including the Vorderasiatisches Museum, Museum für Islamische Kunst, and Ägyptisches Museum für Papyrussammlung for the 'Einblicke' series showcasing Islamic art museums.
• Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder the patronage of the Yemeni Embassy in Berlin and the German Embassy in Sanaa, supporting the 'Yemen Through the Eyes of its Youth' art exhibition featuring photography, film, and technology art.
• ALFILM - Arab Film Festival BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAFG promotes and distributes information about the annual Arab Film Festival Berlin, which runs April 22-28, 2026, featuring Palestinian, Sudanese, and other Arab cinema.
• Dr. Carsten Wieland (Tawila Discussion Circle)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint expert discussions organized with Dr. Carsten Wieland's 'Tawila' discussion circle on topics including War at the Gulf and regional geostrategic implications.
• Three Tracks Organization for DevelopmentminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYemeni development organization providing support and sponsorship for the 'Yemen Through the Eyes of its Youth' art exhibition.
• a|e Galerie PotsdamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallery hosting the '15 Jahre Arabischer Frühling 2011-2026' exhibition from March 28 to May 28, 2026.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS): Major German political foundation with active MENA programs, including the 'Revitalizing Libyan-German Dialogue' program that partnered with DAFG in June 2026. Overlapping mandate in German-Arab political and civic dialogue makes it a natural peer and frequent co-organizer.
• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES): German political foundation operating regional MENA offices in Beirut, Amman, Tunis and Rabat. Mirrors DAFG's political dialogue, civic education, and youth programs in the German-Arab space with comparable non-profit funding and event-driven model.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für die Vereinten Nationen (DGVN): German UN Society — a Berlin-based civic, membership-supported association promoting international dialogue and education in Germany. Structurally analogous to DAFG in being a German civic non-profit that runs events, expert discussions, and educational programs on international affairs.
• Deutsch-Türkische Gesellschaft (DTG): German-Turkish Society — a bilateral friendship association promoting German-Turkish dialogue through events, expert discussions, and cultural programs. Structurally and functionally the same type of organization as DAFG, but focused on Turkey rather than the Arab world.
• Goethe-Institut: Germany's publicly funded cultural exchange organization with deep MENA footprint (Cairo, Beirut, Tunis, Amman, Dubai, etc.). Most comparable peer given its mandate to deliver language and cultural programming abroad, partially overlapping with DAFG's Arabic courses and cultural events.
• Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Ghorfa): Berlin-based bilateral business-promotion chamber connecting GCC and German companies. Most direct B2B-oriented peer to DAFG's economic-cooperation workstream (Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit), with shared Arab-diplomatic and corporate board footprint.
• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: German political foundation affiliated with the Greens that maintains MENA programs (Beirut, Tunis, Ramallah). Comparable to DAFG in structuring parliamentary-linked dialogue, cultural cooperation, and event-driven civic engagement with Arab partners.
• Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung: CSU-affiliated German political foundation with a Munich-based MENA mandate including Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf. Comparable political-foundation peer that combines parliamentary exchanges, expert discussions, and cultural cooperation with Arab societies.
• Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft (DIG): German-Israeli Society — a Berlin-headquartered bilateral friendship/civic organization with a comparable mandate to foster cultural, political, and economic understanding between Germany and Israel. Direct analog in form (membership e.V.) and function (bilateral dialogue), differing only in geography.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH: German federal development agency running large-scale German-Arab cooperation projects across MENA. Broader government-funded incumbent that overlaps with DAFG's economic-cooperation and educational-vocational programming, though it operates as a government contractor rather than membership association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dafg_ev
• Facebookfacebook.com/dafg.eu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dafg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DAFG