Qatar Charity (QC), through its office in Indonesia, has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs to implement projects in five developmental areas at a cost of $30 million.

The director of Qatar Charity’s office in Indonesia Karam Zeinhom and Head of the Ministry’s Legal and Foreign Cooperation Affairs Mohammad Muzaffar signed the MoU in the presence of HE Fachrul Razi, Minister of Religious Affairs and HE Fawzia Bint Idris Salman Al-Sulaiti, Ambassador of Qatar to Indonesia.

The current MoU is a continuation to the first agreement signed with the Indonesian government in 2006. The MoU is expected to benefit 27 cities across eight Indonesian provinces. According to the MoU, the projects will be implemented in the areas of education, culture, sponsorships and social welfare, in addition to seasonal projects such as Iftar, Zakat Al-Fitr and Udhiya projects.

The MoU also includes the infrastructure sector like building mosques and multi-service education centers, water and sanitation sector, and productive skill development sector for the marginalized and the needy. Besides, it includes the natural disaster relief sector that provides food and non-food aid and shelter.

On this occasion, HE Fachrul Razi, Minister of Religious Affairs, was delighted with the signing of the MoU, thanking Qatari people and Qatar Charity for supporting the Indonesian people over 14 years. He also stressed the continued cooperation between the Ministry and Qatar Charity for the next three years in implementing development projects to achieve the sustainable development goals until 2030.

HE Fawzia Bint Idris Al-Sulaiti, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Indonesia said that the framework convention confirmed the existing strategic partnership and the significant role of Qatar Charity in the humanitarian field.

She also reviewed the strong relations between the two countries, thanking the Indonesian government for facilitating Qatar Charity’s humanitarian mission in the country.

The director of Qatar Charity’s office in Indonesia, Karam Zeinhom said this is the largest agreement of Qatar Charity in Indonesia, adding that all activities and projects have been planned with the relevant government bodies to reach out to the those most in need.

He pointed out that Qatar Charity started its work in Indonesia after the tsunami that hit the Aceh Province in 2005, and built and a residential complex named “Al Rayyan, benefiting 170 families, most of whom were affected by the tsunami.

It is worth mentioning that Qatar Charity had implemented approximately 2000 projects within the framework of the agreement, signed with the Indonesian government previously, at nearly $18 million.

Moving forward gradually, Qatar Charity has annually implemented hundreds of projects, numbering nearly 1,000 projects, mostly water projects, in addition to building mosques, schools, and houses, including the construction of 120 houses in 2018 following the Garut flood

Qatar Charity, in cooperation with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, has distributed food and non-food items last month, benefiting 15,837 families of those who became jobless due to the coronavirus epidemic.