Mohammedia – The city of Rabat will host, on November 20, the first Arab-African Summit in Non-Profit Financing, an unprecedented event aimed at rewriting African-Arab cooperation and solidarity.
The summit is convened by EPIK Leaders, a pan-African movement created this year to empower youthful potential and social entrepreneurs throughout the continent.
Since social challenges are mounting and government funding is constricting, the summit is looking to chart a new way towards sustainable, solidarity-based financing.
It will convene the most significant stakeholders from both regions—government officials, investors, non-profits, and scholars—to review innovative pathways that render social impact financing autonomous and inclusive.
Four strategic pillars
Four keynote themes underlie the event. The first is reframing traditional funding models, encouraging diversification of fundraising beyond traditional aid, and dependence on foreign donors.
The second is to focus on social impact investment and Islamic finance as untapped development sources, leveraging instruments like Zakat and Waqf to fund social transformation.
One of the other major themes is enhancing transparency and governance through digital and financial technology—tools that can help track funds, improve accountability, and build donor trust.
Finally, the summit aims to establish long-lasting partnerships between public institutions, private enterprise, and civil society groups across Africa and the Arab region and lay the groundwork for collective progress.
Through these interactions, participants ought to be in a position to develop a joint action plan in support of inclusive financing, undertake pilot cross-regional ventures, and create a permanent collaborative forum for ongoing conversation and creativity.
A movement for collective impact
Rather than an event, the summit is an expression of the collective empowerment vision of EPIK Leaders.
The organization has extended a blanket invitation to institutions interested in engagement with this regional movement—via panel presentations, talks, or tailored collaborations.
Established in January 2025 by Mahmoud Cherkaoui Salhi and Dr. Nizar Chaari, EPIK Leaders is now an active network of over 50,000 members and 550 clubs across more than 15 African countries.
It aims to equip young leaders and civil society actors with the tools to confront today’s challenges and open new gates to a future that is inclusive and self-sustaining.
By hosting this summit, Rabat stands as the meeting point of two regions determined to transform solidarity into strategy—and charity into long-term impact.
