Al Ahly launches Community Development Foundation to expand social role: El Khatib
Al Ahly Sporting Club chairman Mahmoud El Khatib said the launch of the Al Ahly Community Development Foundation marks the realization of a long-held ambition to expand the club’s social role and support communities across Egypt.
El Khatib made the remarks during a ceremony to mark the foundation’s official launch in the Pyramids area, attended by members of the club’s board of directors, the foundation’s board of trustees, government ministers, public figures and sports personalities, as well as representatives from the club’s football sector and affiliated companies.
“The foundation is part of Al Ahly’s commitment to playing a broader role in serving society,” El Khatib said, welcoming guests and thanking them for attending the event.
He said the Egyptian state’s push under President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to support charitable work and humanitarian initiatives, including medical convoys and programmes supporting people with disabilities, had encouraged both individuals and institutions to increase their contributions to community service and aid vulnerable groups.
El Khatib said the idea for the foundation dates back to his 2017 election campaign, when he proposed strengthening the club’s social engagement. The initiative later developed into an institution working across several areas of community development.
He added that Al Ahly traditionally announces its projects only after they are completed, noting that the foundation’s slogan, “Al Ahly for Everyone”, reflects its aim to serve all segments of society without discrimination.
According to El Khatib, the foundation will organise medical convoys, provide food assistance, offer speech therapy services and help create job opportunities.
Its headquarters in Sharqia governorate also includes sewing workshops whose products are displayed at exhibitions, alongside programmes supporting orphans and promoting social solidarity.
The foundation plans to expand its activities, he said. Board member Mohamed El-Garhi is seeking to secure land in Fayoum governorate for future projects, while a resident of Sohag governorate has donated a feddan of land to support the foundation’s work.
El Khatib added that the foundation has already begun work on its “100 Dream Homes” initiative and expressed confidence that it would be completed with support from donors, saying charitable work should serve everyone regardless of affiliation.
