Mr. Khaled Al-Saifi is considered one of the most prominent community and educational figures in Dheisheh Camp and the city of Bethlehem, and one of the principal founders of the IBDA’A CENTER, which was established in 1994 in partnership with Mr. Ziad Abbas, with the aim of creating a cultural, educational, and social space dedicated to children, youth, and women, providing them with opportunities for learning, expression, and the development of their capacities.
Khaled Al-Saifi grew up in the environment of Dheisheh Camp, and from his early years held a deep belief in the importance of education, culture, and the arts as essential tools for building character and strengthening resilience. Out of this belief, he contributed to founding the IBDA’A CENTER and transforming it into one of the most prominent Palestinian community institutions, one that combines culture, art, sport, education, and volunteer work.
Through his leadership of the Association, Al-Saifi worked to develop diverse programs targeting children and youth, covering the arts, theater, music, folk dance (dabke), sport, media, education, health programs, and the empowerment of youth and women. The Ebda’ Association became a model for community work based on investing in human potential, particularly within Palestinian refugee camps.
Khaled Al-Saifi’s name has been closely associated with the IBDA’A cultural project, as he played an essential role in transforming the camp from a space lacking cultural and recreational services into an environment nurturing talent and creativity. He contributed to creating spaces for children and youth to express themselves through art, theater, music, and sport, and consistently affirmed that Palestinian children have the right to learn, play, and dream despite difficult circumstances.
He also played a prominent role in building the CENTER international relationships and partnerships, as IBDA’A became linked to a wide network of cultural, educational, and humanitarian institutions around the world, receiving international delegations and organizing cultural exchange programs aimed at conveying the voice and experience of Palestinian children to the world.
Alongside his cultural and educational role, Khaled Al-Saifi was a supporter of community sport, having contributed to the development of IBDA’A Sports Club, which became one of the most prominent sporting experiences in Dheisheh Camp, achieving an important presence in Palestinian basketball, in addition to supporting sporting activities as a means of building the character of children and youth and strengthening team spirit and belonging.
Mr. Khaled Al-Saifi left a great legacy in Palestinian grassroots work — not only through the programs and projects he founded, but through the generations who passed through the IBDA’A CENTER and gained knowledge, confidence, and the capacity for initiative. Over the years of his work, IBDA’A evolved into a space combining education, culture, and community, embodying the idea that creativity can be a means of confronting challenges and building a better future.
