International Islamic Charity Organization

What International Islamic Charity Organization does

The International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO, legal name الهيئة الخيرية الإسلامية العالمية) is a Kuwait-based, non-profit charitable organization founded in 1984 and legally chartered by Kuwaiti Law No. 64/1986 and an Amiri decree dated 3 February 1987. It is headquartered in Hawalli Governorate, Kuwait City, with operations distributed across at least eight named countries—Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Niger, Benin, Sudan, Malaysia, and Uganda—and reached 234,000 beneficiaries across 18 countries in its June 2026 Eid al-Adha campaign.

IICO's core offerings are organized into three revenue/impact streams: (i) Zakat and Sadaqa (obligatory and voluntary Islamic alms) accepted via a multi-currency online donation portal (KWD, SAR, AED, QAR, BHD, USD, EUR) with KNET, Visa, MasterCard, and Apple Pay processing; (ii) Waqf (permanent endowment) programs covering orphans, mosques, water, students, and preachers, where principal is preserved and only returns are deployed; and (iii) project-based relief and development programs such as the "Feed a Million Hungry" campaign (329,260 beneficiaries) and the Eid al-Adha sacrifice project. Digital tools include an electronic Zakat Calculator and a graduate scholarship application. All programs operate under a Sharia Supervisory Board chaired by Hijri Al-Nashmi.

The business model is donation-funded rather than commercial: IICO collects voluntary Zakat, Sadaqa, Waqf principal, and project donations from individuals and institutional donors and disburses them through field partnerships with local NGOs and civil society organizations. Distribution relies on a direct e-commerce donation channel plus a "channel/reseller" network of partner NGOs in beneficiary countries and multilateral partnerships with the Islamic Development Bank (Tadamon 1.0 and 2.0), Qatar Charity, Islamic Relief USA, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. The customer base is bifurcated: donors globally (with a long-tail pattern—e.g., 7,994 donors contributed ~$531,000 to one project) and beneficiaries are vulnerable populations (orphans, widows, displaced persons, food-insecure families). The organization is governed by a 21-member Board of Directors; as of December 9, 2025, Engineer Jamal Al-Nuwayri serves as Chairman, succeeding Dr. Abdullah Metug Al-Metug, and Badr Saud Al-Sumait serves as Director General.

Name

International Islamic Charity Organization

Legal name

الهيئة الخيرية الإسلامية العالمية (International Islamic Charitable Organization)

Website

https://iico.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO) is a Kuwait-headquartered, Kuwaiti-law-chartered non-profit founded in 1984 that collects Zakat, Sadaqa, and Waqf donations online in multiple currencies and disburses humanitarian relief, food security, education, and orphan sponsorship programs through partner NGOs across at least 18 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid and Charitable Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Country Development Assistance Programs (Bilateral ODA) (BPADABAA), Cash Assistance & Social Safety Net Delivery for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAH)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Islamic charitable giving
• Zakat and Sadaqa programs
• Waqf endowment services
• Emergency relief projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharq Hawalli

HQ country

Kuwait

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Zakat and Sadaqa (Charitable Donations): Voluntary charitable donations from individuals and organizations, including obligatory zakat (Islamic wealth tax) and voluntary sadaqa (charity). Donors can contribute to specific projects or general charitable causes.
2. Endowments (Waqf): Permanent endowment funds where the principal is preserved and only the returns are used for charitable purposes. Includes various waqf projects such as mosque endowments, orphan sponsorship endowments, and educational endowments.
3. Project-Based Donations: Donors contribute to specific charitable projects such as feeding programs, orphan sponsorship, educational support, and relief operations. Projects include the 'Feed a Million Hungry' initiative targeting Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Niger, Benin, and Sudan.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IICO operates a global Islamic charity platform that collects and distributes Zakat, Sadaqa, and Waqf (endowment) donations from individual Muslims and institutions to fund humanitarian, educational, and development programs. The organization delivers food security, orphan sponsorship, emergency relief, and educational empowerment projects to vulnerable populations across 18+ countries, with programs such as "Feed a Million Hungry," Eid al-Adha sacrifice distributions, and graduate scholarships.

Product overview

The International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) operates as a global Islamic charity platform offering multiple interconnected charitable programs. The core offerings include Zakat and Sadaqa donation programs, endowment (Waqf) services, and emergency relief projects. The organization provides a digital Zakat Calculator tool for computing charitable obligations. The platform organizes volunteer teams and offers graduate scholarship programs. IICO accepts donations in multiple currencies (KD, SAR, AED, QAR, BHD, USD, EUR) through integrated payment processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Feed a Million Hungry (إطعام مليون جائع) A humanitarian food security initiative providing daily meals and food aid to one million hungry people across Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Niger, Benin, and Sudan. Targets food-insecure populations and has reached 329,260 beneficiaries with $531,064.52 raised from 7,994 donors.
• Zakat and Sadaqa (زكاة وصدقات) Islamic charitable giving programs accepting Zakat (obligatory alms under Islamic law) and Sadaqa (voluntary charity) from individual Muslim donors and organizations to support humanitarian projects. Includes monthly recurring donation option (الاستقطاع الشهري).
• Waqf Endowment Programs (وقفية) Islamic endowment programs allowing donors to invest in perpetual charitable giving where the principal is preserved and only returns are used for charitable purposes. Includes endowments for orphans, mosques, water projects, students, and preachers.
• Relief Projects (مشاريع الإغاثة) Emergency relief projects addressing urgent humanitarian needs through food distribution and crisis response operations in conflict-affected and disaster-stricken regions.
• Expiations and Vows (كفارات ونذور) Programs directing Islamic expiation (Kaffara) and vow (Nadhr) payments toward feeding programs in countries most in need. Administrative fees of 12.5% apply to these specific project contributions.
• Sadaqa Preservation Program (صدقة تحفظنا - دفعة بلا) A charitable initiative ("Sadaqa Tahfazna - Daf'a Bila") supporting orphans, underprivileged families, debtors, and patients by providing financial assistance to those in difficult circumstances.
• Zakat Calculator (حاسبة الزكاة) Digital tool enabling Muslim users to compute their Zakat obligations across multiple asset categories including money, metals, stocks, real estate, agriculture, and livestock.
• Volunteer Teams (الفرق التطوعية) Organized volunteer teams (including Banat Al-Dera, Kiswat Khair, Ataa Kuwait, Marayem Al-Khair, Khair Al-Kuwait, Nsaaem Al-Khair, Bas Al-Khair) conducting charitable activities on the ground in Kuwait and beneficiary countries.
• Graduate Scholarships (منح الدراسات العليا) Graduate scholarship program for students pursuing higher education, with applications managed through Microsoft Forms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 442,000 individuals through Tadamon 1.0
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026IICO participates in the Tadamon 2.0-Seeds of Solidarity program launched by IsDB Group Chairman Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser. The program targets marginalized communities across IsDB member countries, aiming to reach 500,000 vulnerable individuals and train 1,500 civil society organizations over five years. IICO attends annual IsDB meetings as a key development partner.
• International Institute of Tropical AgriculturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of six development partners signing cooperation agreements at the Tadamon 2.0 launch ceremony in Baku. Collaborates on agricultural development and food security initiatives within the poverty reduction program.
• Qatar CharitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of six development partners signing cooperation agreements at the Tadamon 2.0 launch ceremony in Baku. Jointly supports poverty reduction and community empowerment initiatives across IsDB member countries.
• Islamic Relief USAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of six development partners signing cooperation agreements at the Tadamon 2.0 launch ceremony in Baku. Collaborates on humanitarian relief and development programs targeting vulnerable populations.
• Global Center for Philanthropy StudiessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with the Global Center for Philanthropy Studies (gcpskw.org) for research and studies on charitable work and philanthropy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency): Multilateral agency operating at much larger scale in refugee and IDP humanitarian assistance — overlaps with IICO on displaced-population programming but as a global incumbent rather than faith-based NGO.
• Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group: Multilateral development institution that both funds and partners with IICO (Tadamon 2.0); an upstream institutional counterpart and aggregator of charitable and concessional flows for NGOs like IICO.

Direct peers

• Zakat Foundation of America: US-based Zakat-focused charity operating emergency relief, food programs, and orphan sponsorship across MENA and Africa; directly comparable on Zakat collection infrastructure and beneficiary mix.
• Human Appeal (UK): UK-headquartered Islamic charity delivering emergency relief, food security, education, and orphan sponsorship across MENA, Africa, and Asia — a near-identical programmatic profile to IICO at smaller scale.
• Islamic Relief Worldwide: One of the largest Islamic humanitarian NGOs globally; delivers Zakat, Sadaqa, orphan sponsorship, and emergency relief across similar geographies to IICO and partners with IICO through Islamic Relief USA on Tadamon 2.0.
• Qatar Charity: Qatar Charity is a Gulf-based Islamic humanitarian NGO operating relief, development, and Waqf programs across the same beneficiary countries as IICO, and is one of IICO's named development partners in Tadamon 2.0, making it a direct functional peer.
• Al-Imdaad Foundation: South African-rooted Islamic humanitarian NGO with global relief and development operations; overlaps with IICO in food security, disaster response, and Islamic charitable giving across shared beneficiary regions.
• Direct Aid Society: Kuwait-headquartered Islamic NGO delivering education, food security, and development programs across MENA and Africa — comparable programmatic focus and Gulf-based institutional DNA to IICO.
• Muslim Aid: UK-rooted Islamic humanitarian NGO with overlapping Zakat/Sadaqa collection, emergency relief, and long-term development programs targeting similar vulnerable populations across overlapping geographies.

Regional players

• Kuwait Red Crescent Society: A Kuwait-headquartered humanitarian organization operating in analogous regional and conflict-affected geographies with similar Zakat-anchored funding mechanics, making it a geographically overlapping peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/khayriyanet
• Facebookfacebook.com/khayriyanet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/khayriyanet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Islamic Charity Organization