The project consists of constructing 2,000 housing units, costing $5,500 per unit, to be built in stages. The first phase included the construction of 279 units, while in the second phase, 556 housing units were implemented. The project benefits 20,000 displaced Muslims who were forced to move from their original villages. The total cost of the project is 40,000,000 Qatari riyals.

The project is considered a realistic example of the organization’s development orientations

The Foundation developed an integrated vision for the project to include development components

The city includes 2,000 housing units housing more than 14,000 people

The city aims to improve the quality of life for thousands of individuals in health, education and society

The Foundation drilled 321 wells to provide drinking water and irrigate small farms

The Sheikh Jassim Model City in Sri Lanka reflects the essence of the strategy pursued by the Jassim and Hamad bin Jassim Charitable Foundation in the field of charitable and humanitarian work. It also expresses the vision of His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani – the founding member, to leave a qualitative and developmental impact in many societies. Poor people around the world  by supporting their aspirations to live a decent life. This charitable project constitutes an added value to the Foundation’s development projects at the external level, which enhances its qualitative impact that seeks to improve the quality of life for thousands of individuals in health, education and society.

He presented the Jassim Model Charitable City project, which was implemented in the Mannar District of the Republic of Sri Lanka in cooperation with the United Nations and a number of civil society organizations in Qatar. A realistic and innovative example of housing more than 14,000 people, through the construction of 2,000 housing units that provided safety and comfort to a segment that was suffering from poverty and loss of housing, which can be described as pioneering at the level of charitable work around the world, as the total cost of the project amounted to 11,500,000 US dollars.

Development vision

In this context, His Excellency Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jassim and Hamad bin Jassim Charitable Foundation, explained that the Sheikh Jassim City project in Sri Lanka is a realistic example of the Foundation’s development trends aimed at improving the reality of life in many societies around the world, as This charitable edifice reflects the cultural and humanitarian value adopted by the Foundation, which aims to give thousands of individuals hope to achieve a new beginning, by providing suitable housing for them and their families, in addition to a plot of land that was kindly granted by the Sri Lankan government at the request of the Foundation, in keeping with the general vision it set. In creating a micro-community and enabling them to possess various tools that support their ambitions to improve their living reality and ensure a decent life for all families benefiting from the project.

Added Value

For his part, Mr. Saeed Mudakar Al-Hajri, CEO of the Jassim and Hamad bin Jassim Charitable Foundation, confirmed that the Sheikh Jassim Model City project in Sri Lanka is considered one of the pioneering projects that is considered an added value in terms of the Foundation’s approach on the one hand, and the nature of charitable work trends on the other hand, as the idea Housing more than 14,000 people, posing a serious challenge that requires the provision of innovative solutions that do not only meet the idea of ​​housing as a spatial space, but this challenge prompted the Jassim and Hamad bin Jassim Charitable Foundation to develop an integrated vision that aims to include development components in the project through optimal investment of the potential of the local environment incubating the project. And work to exploit it with the aim of building an integrated society that possesses the elements of its prosperity, by providing many resources that support this trend. Considering that these communities are predominantly agricultural and rely on animal husbandry to secure their daily livelihood, the Foundation decided to place this standard within the general perception of the elements that the project must provide by creating an appropriate infrastructure that supports its implementation on the ground.

Food security  

Mr. Al-Hajri added that one of the goals initiated by the Jassim and Hamad bin Jassim Charitable Foundation went beyond the idea of ​​housing, to the desire to create a community entity that has all the elements of development that would enable it to begin generating financial income that would help it confront poverty and achieve the idea of ​​food security.

One of the most important initiatives implemented by the Jassim and Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation is that it asked the Sri Lankan government to allocate a plot of agricultural land to each beneficiary of the project, to contribute to crystallizing the project’s objectives. For its part, the Sri Lankan government responded gratefully and allocated 2,500 square meters for each beneficiary to cultivate, invest and benefit from. It is produced in a way that guarantees him and his family an appropriate financial return that guarantees them a decent life.

The Jassim and Hamad bin Jassim Charitable Foundation also drilled 321 water wells at a total cost of more than $400,000. Which aims to secure drinking water, as well as irrigation water for small farms, which would contribute to raising the standard of living of the population and encourage them to develop their farms in a way that guarantees them a financial return that enhances their stability. This approach was greatly appreciated by the beneficiaries of the project due to the important role that this project contributed to in bringing about a radical change in their lifestyle, and giving them a great feeling of security for themselves and their families against poverty and destitution.

development projects

The wheel of giving did not stop at the borders of housing and encouraging agriculture. The Jassim and Hamad bin Jassim Charitable Foundation, based on its vision “Health and Education for a Better Life,” had a comprehensive vision regarding the community of Sheikh Jassim Model City and achieving sustainable development through building schools and health centers to enhance the educational aspect. And health care in cooperation with the Sri Lankan government.

The Foundation’s relationship with Sheikh Jassim Model City did not end there, but rather it worked to consolidate the concept of social solidarity, by ensuring the implementation of many seasonal projects and providing assistance to those families, by providing the necessary needs of those families such as distributing food baskets, meat, and dates.