Arab Image Foundation المؤسّسة العربيّة للصورة

What Arab Image Foundation المؤسّسة العربيّة للصورة does

The Arab Image Foundation (المؤسّسة العربيّة للصورة) is an independent non-profit photographic archive founded in 1997 in Beirut, Lebanon, by photographers Fouad Elkoury and Samer Mohdad, and artist Akram Zaatari. The foundation collects, preserves, digitizes, and researches photographs originating from South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) and its diasporas, holding over 500,000 photographic objects spanning from 1860 to the present. Its core products include an on-site photographic database accessible at its Kantari headquarters, an Albums Platform online presenting 44 digitized hand-bound photograph albums, a Common Library shared with partner cultural organizations, and an in-house Digital Assets Management System (DAMS) under active development. The foundation operates preservation and digitisation labs with climate-controlled storage and solar energy systems, alongside a public auditorium and screening room equipped with professional-grade DCP projection.

The foundation serves four primary audiences: artists and cultural practitioners undertaking residencies and creative projects; researchers and academics studying visual culture and the modern history of the SWANA region; students via internships and educational programming; and the general public through community events, library access, and guided tours. Distribution is hybrid: on-site access at the Beirut premises, supplemented by the online Albums Platform, bookable assisted research sessions, group tours, and auditorium rental. The foundation is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in the United States (Arab Image Foundation Inc., Tax ID 93-3283398) and as a registered association in Lebanon under number 32/AD.

Revenue is generated exclusively through charitable channels: individual donations (USD/EUR), foundation and institutional grants (notably William Talbott Hillman Foundation and Gerda Henkel Foundation), modest auditorium and space rental, and in-kind contributions from partner organizations. The foundation is governed by a General Assembly that elects a Board of Directors every three years; the current Board is chaired by Vartan Avakian. Operating geographies span research and collection activities across Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Morocco, and diaspora communities in Senegal, Mexico, and Argentina. The organization is a co-founder of the Middle East Photographic Preservation Initiative (MEPPI) and the Modern Heritage Observatory (MoHO) networks.

Name

Arab Image Foundation المؤسّسة العربيّة للصورة

Legal name

Arab Image Foundation Inc

Website

https://arabimagefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arab Image Foundation (المؤسّسة العربيّة للصورة) is a Beirut-based non-profit founded in 1997 that collects, preserves, digitizes, and researches over 500,000 photographs from the SWANA region and its diasporas, serving artists, researchers, students, and the public through on-site access, digital platforms, and educational programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photographic Archive and Cultural Heritage Preservation

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

Keywords

• Photographic archive preservation
• Digital asset management
• Cultural heritage research
• Image digitization services
• Community arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Online donations and bank transfers accepted in USD and EUR. Monthly sustaining donations and one-time contributions supported. All donations are charitable (US tax-exempt). The foundation is a registered 501(c)3 in the United States and a registered non-profit association in Lebanon.
2. Foundation and Institutional Grants: Funding from trusts, foundations, statutory bodies, and corporate funders to support preservation activities, digitization projects, and operational costs. Notable funders include William Talbott Hillman Foundation and Gerda Henkel Foundation.
3. Auditorium/Space Rental: The shared auditorium and screening room is available for hire to other professionals, generating revenue while creating a self-sustaining economic model for maintenance and operational costs.
4. In-Kind Contributions: Donations of books, technical equipment, furniture, and other in-kind gifts to The Common Library and shared spaces. Partners including Dawawine, Public Works Studio, and Archive Books contribute resources.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Arab Image Foundation is a non-profit cultural institution that collects, preserves, digitizes, and researches photographs from the SWANA region (South West Asia and North Africa) and its diasporas. It maintains over 500,000 photographic objects dating from 1860 to present, accessed through an on-site database in Beirut and an online Albums Platform. The foundation also operates a Common Library, preservation and digitization labs, an auditorium/screening room, assisted research sessions, tours, and educational programs (internships, volunteering, residencies, fellowships).

Product overview

The Arab Image Foundation is a non-profit photographic archive organization offering both physical and digital access to over 500,000 photographic objects from the Middle East, North Africa, and Arab diaspora (1860-present). The organization operates a network of interconnected services: an on-site photographic database accessible at their Beirut facility, the Albums Platform (an online collection of 44 digitized albums), and an in-house Digital Assets Management System (DAMS) under development. Physical offerings include a Common Library (shared with Dawawine, Public Works, and Archive Books) with over 3,000 titles, Preservation and Digitisation Labs with climate-controlled storage, an Auditorium/Screening Room with professional DCP projection, Assisted Research Sessions, Tours, and educational programs including Internships and Volunteering opportunities. The organization is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in the US and a non-profit association in Lebanon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Photographic Collections and On-Site Database Access to approximately 500,000 photographic objects from the Middle East, North Africa, and Arab diaspora dating from 1860 to present, browsable via the on-site database at the AIF Common Library in Beirut.
• Albums Platform Online platform featuring 44 digitized photograph albums capturing personal/family life, political events, and landscapes across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, and Morocco, designed to be browsed page-by-page as their original owners intended.
• Digital Assets Management System (DAMS) Proprietary digital asset management system under in-house development to catalog, manage, and provide online access to AIF's photographic collections.
• Common Library Shared library at the Kantari premises housing over 3,000 titles spanning photography, art, critical theory, feminism, cinema, theatre, history, urbanism, and architecture, open to visitors Monday to Friday.
• Preservation and Digitisation Labs Specialized on-site labs for preserving and digitizing photographic collections, including negative cleaning, cataloging, climate-controlled cool storage rooms, and solar-powered energy systems.
• Auditorium and Screening Room Professional screening facility equipped with DCP projector and cinema chairs, available for AIF programming and for hire by other professionals and organizations.
• Assisted Research Sessions Bookable research assistance sessions with AIF researchers for in-depth exploration of the photographic collections, scheduled via [email protected].
• Group Tours Guided group tours of the AIF Kantari premises, including the preservation, digitisation, and research labs, available by appointment.
• Internship Program Structured internship placements available throughout the year for those interested in photography, research, preservation, archival, and artistic practices.
• Volunteering Program Volunteer opportunities focused on events, screenings, library operations, auditorium management, and public engagement activities at the Kantari premises.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 exhibitions produced in partnership with international museums, galleries, and cultural institutions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core, major and historical.

• WithaqeyyaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Project founder Amani Rammal collaborated with AIF's preservation team to lead a workshop on salvaging damaged photographs, stabilising and digitising them using locally sourced and low-cost material in South Lebanon.
• DawawinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Cultural entity specializing in film, dance, theatre, and music. Dawawine uses the shared library and auditorium for public programmes and jointly programs with other entities in the space. Contributed approximately 900 books to the Common Library and cinema chairs to the auditorium.
• Public WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Research and design studio that critically tackles urban and social issues. Contributed approximately 200 books to the common library and participates in shared programming at the AIF Kantari space.
• Archive BookscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Polycentric publishers cooperative with bases in Milan, Berlin, and Dakar. The Common Library at AIF is one of their new centers. Community of practitioners collaborating across regions and socio-political environments with focus on languages, visuality, and archives.
• Cooperative of Cinema ProfessionalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collective of industry professionals spanning cinematographers, colourists, sound engineers, animators, set designers, and filmmakers. Contributed professional-grade DCP projector to the auditorium/screening room. Members have access to screening facilities.
• Middle East Photographic Preservation Initiative (MEPPI)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partnership with several institutions launched in 2011 to identify significant photographic collections and promote their preservation through training courses. Part of AIF's network of like-minded institutions.
• Modern Heritage Observatory (MoHO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Network launched in 2011 bringing together institutions from cinema, music, architecture, photography, and more. Joint actions include advocacy, sharing and promoting resources, symposia, and publications. Network members celebrated International Archives Week by opening premises to the public.
• Musée de l'ÉlyséehistoricalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Early collaboration with Musée de l'Élysée in Lausanne in the foundation's first years. Close collaboration on promotion of photographic culture of the Near East and Maghreb and technical management of photographic heritage.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Archive Books: Polycentric publishers cooperative with bases in Milan, Berlin, and Dakar, also one of AIF's core Kantari partners. Comparable as a multilingual publishing/archive entity serving SWANA and global diasporic cultural production.
• SALT Research: Istanbul-based cultural research institution with extensive archives, library, public programs, and publications examining modern Turkey and the region. Directly comparable as a multi-format cultural archive with shared public programming model.
• Darat al Funun - The Khalid Shoman Foundation: Amman-based nonprofit arts organization housing archives, libraries, and exhibition programs focused on Arab visual culture. Most direct regional peer in terms of mission, archive/library scope, and SWANA cultural heritage focus.

Broad incumbents

• Akademie der Künste: Berlin arts academy housing major visual, literary, and performing arts archives with public-facing exhibitions and research. Comparable as a large-scale cultural archive with research and public programming, though broader in scope.
• Magnum Foundation: US-based nonprofit supporting socially engaged photography, with grantmaking, exhibitions, and archive activities. Comparable as a photography-focused cultural nonprofit, though with broader thematic remit than SWANA-specific preservation.
• Centre for Documentary Studies at Duke University: University-affiliated center combining archives, oral history, publications, and public humanities on documentary practice. Comparable mission overlap around photographic research, exhibitions, and educational programming.
• Jeu de Paume: Paris photography and image center hosting exhibitions and programming on contemporary photographic practice. Comparable as a photography-focused cultural institution with curatorial and educational programming, though with broader geographic scope.
• The Photographers' Gallery: London's primary dedicated photography gallery with exhibitions, education, and publishing programs. Comparable focus on photographic culture and public engagement, though commercial-leaning and without AIF's archival mandate.
• Institut du Monde Arabe: Paris-based Franco-Arab cultural institution organizing exhibitions, library programming, and research on the Arab world. Comparable in SWANA cultural mandate and partnership role (e.g., early AIF research missions were affiliated with IMA programs).

Emerging players

• World Press Photo Foundation: Amsterdam-based nonprofit running an annual photojournalism contest, exhibitions, and educational programming. Comparable as a photography nonprofit with global reach, though focused on contemporary press rather than archival preservation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aifcom
• YouTubevimeo.com/arabimagefoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/arabimagefoundationbeirut
• Instagraminstagram.com/arabimagefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arab-image-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arab Image Foundation المؤسّسة العربيّة للصورة