Arab Gulf Program for the United Nations Development Fund (AGFUND) - South South Cooperation

At the initiative of H.M. Prince Talal Bin Al Saud, with the support of the Arab Gulf States that constitute its membership and are its financial contributors ...

Being concerned with the support of sustainable human development efforts and especially targeting the least developed countries, AGFUND strongly supports the development and improvement of educational and health standards, encourages poverty combating programmes and those that support institutional structures.  In this effort Agfund collaborates with national, international and regional organizations, NGOs and other institutions concerned with development.

... AGFUND was established in 1980 as a non-profit regional development institution. Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz, President of the Arab Gulf Program for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND) promotes the concept of the Arab Open University (AOU) in a personal initiative.

The Head of UNIDO’s ITPO Bahrain, Hashim Hussein, said that the initiative of the Prince "reflects a penetrating foresight the aim of which is to provide higher education for the widest possible spectrum of learners".