Introduction
The Arab Land Initiative is a regional partnership working to improve land governance, land administration and housing, land and property rights across the Arab region. It was established in 2016 under the leadership of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, known as UN-Habitat, and the Global Land Tool Network, or GLTN.
The Initiative brings together governments, universities, land professionals, civil society organisations, international agencies and private-sector representatives. Its work covers the 22 countries belonging to the League of Arab States.
Its shared vision is that people throughout Arab countries should enjoy equal and affordable access to land, supported by transparent, efficient and affordable land-administration systems. Better land governance is viewed as an essential foundation for peace, social stability, economic growth, climate resilience and the protection of human rights.
Despite its wide regional presence, the Arab Land Initiative is not a legally independent charitable foundation, commercial enterprise or grantmaking company. It is a donor-supported regional program coordinated through UN-Habitat and the GLTN Secretariat.
The Initiative therefore has no private ownership, shareholders or conventional board of directors. References to foundation details, philanthropic activities and enterprise foundation ownership should be understood within this institutional context.
History and Background
Establishment in 2016
The Arab Land Initiative was launched in 2016 by a group of GLTN partners led by UN-Habitat and the World Bank. It was created in response to shared land-governance challenges affecting countries throughout the Arab region.
These challenges included:
- Insecure land tenure
- Outdated or fragmented land-administration systems
- Limited access to affordable land and housing
- Weak protection of women’s land rights
- Displacement caused by conflict
- Informal settlements
- Land degradation and water scarcity
- Competition over agricultural and urban land
- Limited access to reliable land information
The region’s rapid urbanisation, population growth, displacement and exposure to climate change have increased pressure on land, housing and natural resources. The Initiative reports that high land costs, informal urban growth and unequal access to property have contributed to social and economic exclusion.
First Arab Land Conference
The First Arab Land Conference was held in Dubai in 2018. It brought together governments, civil society, professionals, academics and development organisations to exchange knowledge and promote regional cooperation.
Participants adopted the Dubai Declaration on Land Governance in the Arab States. The declaration helped establish shared priorities involving land administration, women’s land rights, housing, urban development, technology and institutional capacity.
Regional Programme on Good Land Governance
At the end of 2018, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, or BMZ, signed an agreement with UN-Habitat to finance the Regional Programme on Good Land Governance in Support of Inclusive Development, Peace and Stability in the Arab Region.
The initial program had a budget of approximately €2 million and operated through the end of 2021. It was extended for an additional year with a further budget of €640,000. Contributions were also provided by Sweden and Switzerland.
The program concentrated on four priorities:
- Promoting regional collaboration and coordination
- Creating and sharing knowledge
- Developing institutional and professional capacity
- Supporting country-level land programs through practical land tools
Second and Third Arab Land Conferences
The Second Arab Land Conference was held in Cairo from 22 to 24 February 2021. It was organised by UN-Habitat, GLTN, the World Bank and Egyptian institutions, with support from international development partners.
The Third Arab Land Conference took place in Rabat, Morocco, from 18 to 20 February 2025 under the theme “Land Solutions for Investments, Resilience and Innovation.” It addressed land-sector technology, housing, displacement, women’s rights, climate action, food security and private-sector participation.
The 2025 conference attracted more than 430 in-person participants and over 7,000 virtual participants. It included 44 government representatives from 12 Arab countries and featured 36 sessions.
Mission and Purpose
Core mission
The Arab Land Initiative aims to improve land governance and tenure security throughout the Arab region by strengthening cooperation, knowledge, institutional capacity and practical action.
Its work seeks to ensure that land policies and administration systems are:
- Inclusive
- Transparent
- Affordable
- Gender-responsive
- Accessible to vulnerable groups
- Appropriate for local conditions
- Supported by reliable data
- Capable of responding to conflict and climate change
Equal and secure access to land
Secure access to land can affect a person’s housing, livelihood, food security, access to credit and ability to participate in economic life.
The Initiative focuses particularly on people who may be excluded from formal land systems, including:
- Women
- Young people
- Refugees
- Internally displaced people
- Smallholder farmers
- Informal-settlement residents
- Pastoral and Indigenous communities
- Low-income households
- Conflict-affected populations
Key thematic priorities
The Arab Land Initiative identifies six principal areas of work.
Women’s land rights
This theme promotes women’s access to land and property as a human-rights, empowerment and economic-development issue. Activities include advocacy, knowledge production, support for grassroots organisations and increased participation by women in land-related institutions.
Land, food security and climate action
This area addresses land degradation, biodiversity, agricultural rights, ecosystem services, regenerative land practices and the effects of climate change on land and natural resources.
Land, conflict and displacement
The Initiative supports stronger protection of housing, land and property rights for refugees and displaced populations. Secure property rights can assist return, recovery, peacebuilding and the prevention of future disputes.
Housing and sustainable urbanisation
This theme considers affordable housing, informal settlements, urban land management and access to services and infrastructure.
Fit-for-purpose land administration
Fit-for-purpose land administration uses affordable and flexible methods to document people’s relationships with land. It can include digital records, community mapping, simplified registration and new data technologies.
Monitoring land governance
This area supports the collection and analysis of data on land rights, tenure security, policy implementation and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Governance and Structure
Institutional structure
The Arab Land Initiative is not a separately incorporated foundation. It operates within the institutional framework of UN-Habitat and the Global Land Tool Network.
The Initiative is coordinated by UN-Habitat through the GLTN Secretariat. The GLTN Secretariat is hosted by UN-Habitat and is responsible for the network’s daily operations and overall coordination.
Ownership
The Arab Land Initiative does not have conventional ownership.
It has:
- No commercial shareholders
- No private owners
- No parent corporation
- No family ownership
- No independent charitable trustees
It is therefore not an enterprise foundation established by a corporation to administer philanthropic activities. It is a multistakeholder development initiative facilitated by a United Nations agency.
Reference Group
The Initiative’s work has historically been supported by a Reference Group representing international agencies, government institutions, professional bodies, universities and civil society organisations.
The 2018–2022 achievement report described a group that included representatives from organisations such as UN-Habitat, the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Norwegian Refugee Council, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, professional land organisations and academic institutions.
The Reference Group’s functions have included:
- Providing strategic guidance
- Reviewing proposed activities
- Coordinating partner contributions
- Identifying regional priorities
- Connecting technical experts
- Supporting conferences and research
- Strengthening institutional partnerships
Partnership model
The Arab Land Initiative works through a broad network of organisations instead of maintaining a large independent delivery structure.
Partners include:
- National and local governments
- United Nations agencies
- Universities and research institutions
- Civil society organisations
- Land surveyors and professional associations
- Development agencies
- Private-sector organisations
- Housing and property-rights specialists
- Environmental and agricultural organisations
Capacity development is central to this partnership model. The Initiative seeks to develop land-governance champions who can influence policy, strengthen institutions and support reforms in their own countries.
Funding and Grants
Main funding mechanisms
The Arab Land Initiative receives basic funding and program-specific financial support from international development partners rather than generating revenue through commercial activities.
Its official website identifies financial or strategic support from:
- German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
- Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
- Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
- Government of Norway
- Government of the Netherlands
- Netherlands Enterprise Agency
Funding is normally channelled through UN-Habitat, GLTN or formal agreements with implementing partners.
How funding is used
Donor funding supports activities such as:
- Regional conferences
- Research grants
- Policy studies
- Training programs
- Technical assistance
- Publications and translations
- Digital knowledge platforms
- Partner-led country projects
- Expert meetings
- Communications and networking
- Development of land-governance tools
Agreements of Cooperation
The Initiative may enter Agreements of Cooperation with eligible nonprofit organisations, universities, civil society bodies or international institutions.
These agreements can provide funding for organisations to:
- Manage research programs
- Deliver training
- Conduct policy studies
- Develop technical tools
- Organise regional events
- Implement country-level activities
- Manage calls for proposals
For example, a 2025 call offered an estimated budget of USD 80,000 to an eligible Arab-region organisation to manage the second Research Innovation Fund over approximately 18 months.
Research Innovation Fund
The Research Innovation Fund was first launched in 2020 with financial support from BMZ.
Its purpose is to support young professionals, practitioners and scholars conducting research on land governance in Arab countries. The first edition assessed more than 80 proposals and selected 17 researchers to develop full papers with support from senior reviewers.
Research areas included:
- Women and land
- Youth and land
- Land administration
- Climate change
- Natural-resource governance
- Land markets
- Land legislation
- Land-based investment
- Tenure security
- Innovative land-management tools
Current 2026 Research Grants
In July 2026, the Arab Land Initiative, GLTN, UN-Habitat and Public Works Studio launched the second edition of the Research Innovation Fund.
The call is open to students, young researchers, practitioners and activists from the Arab region. Selected applicants receive a research grant of USD 3,500. Applications may be submitted in Arabic, English or French, and the published deadline is 30 August 2026.
The current research theme is “Land and Housing in the Arab Region: Dynamics, Transformations and Mobilizations.”
Eligible research may address:
- Land and housing governance
- Climate adaptation and resilience
- Women’s access to land
- Youth access to housing
- Land registration and digitalisation
- Food security
- Displacement
- Housing, land and property rights
- Socioeconomic and spatial transformation
Applicants should verify current deadlines and conditions through the official Arab Land Initiative website before submitting.
Nature of the funding
The Initiative does not provide unrestricted grants across all sectors. Its grants are generally:
- Time-limited
- Donor-funded
- Thematically focused
- Connected to land and housing
- Designed for regional knowledge or capacity development
- Subject to UN-Habitat partnership and reporting requirements
Its research support is applied and policy-oriented. It is not a general source of scientific basic funding unrelated to land governance.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Arab Land Conferences
The Arab Land Conferences are the Initiative’s largest regional knowledge and policy events.
They provide a platform for:
- Government dialogue
- Presentation of research
- Technical training
- Policy recommendations
- Professional networking
- Partnership development
- Exchange of national experiences
Conference materials are published through open-access e-libraries containing presentations, research papers, technical reports and case studies. (Arab Land Initiative)
Research Innovation Fund
The Research Innovation Fund supports emerging researchers and practitioners who can generate new evidence about land and housing issues.
The program combines:
- Small research grants
- Technical mentoring
- Peer review
- Publication support
- Participation in regional networks
- Opportunities to present findings
Capacity-development programs
The Initiative organises workshops, masterclasses, expert meetings and training programs for government officials, researchers, surveyors, civil society representatives and land professionals.
Training topics have included:
- Land-governance monitoring
- Sustainable Development Goal indicators
- Fit-for-purpose land administration
- Housing and property rights
- Land-based financing
- Informal settlements
- Open land data
- Women’s land rights
- Climate change and natural resources
One regional training on land-governance monitoring included 54 participants, more than half of whom were women. Participants developed skills in collecting, analysing and reporting land-related data.
Land tools
The Arab Land Initiative adapts tools created by GLTN partners for use in Arab countries.
A land tool may be:
- A survey method
- A digital application
- A registration system
- A training module
- A policy guide
- A monitoring framework
- A community-mapping approach
- A land-dispute assessment method
The tools cover land administration, tenure security, land-based finance, planning, gender, youth, conflict and monitoring.
Country-level partnerships
The Initiative supports partner-led work in individual countries.
Examples include:
- Research on women’s land inheritance in Egypt and Tunisia
- Capacity development for Palestinian land institutions
- Civil-society support concerning forced eviction and displacement in Sudan
- Research on climate change and natural-resource governance in Lebanon
- Fit-for-purpose land-administration training in North Africa
- Studies of land rights and administration in Palestine and Libya
Knowledge and publication platforms
The Initiative publishes reports, policy briefs, country assessments and technical resources in Arabic, English and French.
Its online libraries provide material concerning:
- Women’s land rights
- Climate change
- Housing and displacement
- Land legislation
- Land-sector technology
- Sustainable urbanisation
- Land conflict
- Food security
- Property registration
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
Expansion of the regional network
By the end of 2022, the Arab Land Initiative’s contact network included approximately 2,079 land professionals and stakeholders from the Arab region and other countries.
The network included representatives from:
- Government
- Civil society
- Academia
- International organisations
- Research institutions
- Professional bodies
- Private-sector organisations
Research production
The first Research Innovation Fund selected 17 proposals from more than 80 submissions.
The resulting papers increased regional evidence on issues such as women’s land rights, youth, climate change, natural resources, land administration, housing, investment and tenure security.
Second Arab Land Conference outputs
The Second Arab Land Conference received 53 abstracts, with 46 papers presented during technical sessions.
The conference also included masterclasses and roundtables on:
- Land governance
- Climate adaptation
- Displacement
- Women and vulnerable groups
- Land financing
- Informal settlements
- Digital land administration
- Affordable housing
Third Arab Land Conference impact
The Third Arab Land Conference demonstrated growing regional engagement in land reform.
Its reported participation included:
- More than 430 in-person participants
- More than 7,000 virtual participants
- 44 government representatives
- Delegations from 12 Arab countries
- 36 conference sessions
The event produced recommendations on land management during conflict, women’s rights, climate, food security, housing, technology and land-sector investment.
Women’s inheritance research
A partnership involving the BENAA Foundation in Egypt and Masarat Nissaia in Tunisia examined women’s experiences of land inheritance.
The project used interviews and data collection to develop evidence and policy recommendations concerning gender, inheritance and land governance.
Climate and natural-resource research
The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies worked with the Initiative on a regional study examining land governance, natural resources and climate change.
The research connected tenure security with desertification, biodiversity, agriculture, pastoralism and climate adaptation. It was presented at COP27 in Egypt in 2022.
Open-access knowledge
The Initiative’s conference e-libraries preserve research papers, presentations, technical reports and recordings.
This open-access model allows students, interns, researchers and policymakers to learn from regional evidence even when they cannot attend conferences or training events directly.
Conclusion
The Arab Land Initiative is a regional partnership working to improve land governance, housing rights and tenure security across the 22 Arab states.
It was established in 2016 by GLTN partners under the leadership of UN-Habitat and the World Bank. Its activities are coordinated through UN-Habitat and the GLTN Secretariat rather than through a separately owned charitable foundation.
The Initiative has no private ownership, shareholders or corporate parent. It is therefore not an enterprise foundation, although it collaborates with public institutions, nonprofit organisations, universities and private-sector stakeholders.
Its funding comes mainly from international development partners, including Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands. Funding supports research grants, conferences, policy studies, professional training, technical tools and country-level partnerships.
Its principal programs include:
- Arab Land Conferences
- Research Innovation Fund
- Capacity-development programs
- Country-level technical assistance
- Partner twinning arrangements
- Open-access research libraries
- Land-governance tools and publications
For an intern, the Arab Land Initiative offers insight into:
- Land and housing policy
- International development
- Research-grant management
- Program coordination
- Geographic information systems
- Property and tenure rights
- Women’s economic empowerment
- Climate resilience
- Conflict and displacement
- Policy research
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Communications and knowledge management
The Initiative’s long-term significance lies in connecting regional knowledge with practical land reforms. By improving land administration, strengthening institutions and protecting housing, land and property rights, it seeks to contribute to more inclusive development, peace and climate resilience throughout the Arab region.
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