About Us
Our Founder
Poet, cultural ambassador and businessman, who founded the Group in 1958.
Abdulaziz Saud AlBabtain
1936–2023
Abdulaziz Saud AlBabtain founded AlBabtain Group of Companies in 1958 as a small company promoting consumer goods, and led its growth into a diversified group across seven sectors.
Beyond business, he was a distinguished intellectual and cultural figure: a published poet, the founder of a cultural foundation and of the world’s largest library of Arabic poetry, and an advocate for peace who addressed the United Nations General Assembly.
Education and Poetry
He began his career at Kuwait’s Ministry of Education, where he developed a profound appreciation for Arabic literature and poetry, and a lifelong interest in learning and cultural preservation. He published three collections of his own poetry, Bauh Al‑Bawadi (Intimations of the Desert, 1995), Musafir fi Al‑Qifar (Wastefarer, 2004) and Oghniat Al‑Feyefi (The Songs of the Deserts, 2017), which were recognised across the Arab world and translated into several languages.
Among his most enduring contributions is the AlBabtain Central Library for Arabic Poetry in Kuwait, the world’s largest specialised library of Arabic poetry, which preserves a vast literary heritage and makes it accessible to scholars and future generations.
Culture and Recognition
He worked to bring the Arabic language and Arab culture to an international audience, through his own foundation and through universities and institutions around the world.
Saud AlBabtain Scholarship
In 1974 he established the Saud AlBabtain Scholarship for Postgraduate Studies, which has since awarded more than 9,000 full scholarships.
Cultural Foundation
In 1989 he founded the Abdulaziz Saud AlBabtain Cultural Foundation, which established scholarships, prizes, cultural centres and libraries.
Honorary doctorates
He received 17 honorary doctorates from Arab and international universities, as well as honours and distinctions from world leaders and nations.
University of Oxford
In 2016, Oxford named its historic Laudian Chair of Arabic the Abdulaziz Saud AlBabtain Laudian Chair in Arabic, in recognition of his support in securing its future.
World Poetry Academy
He held the honorary presidency of the World Poetry Academy, succeeding Léopold Sédar Senghor.
Peace and Dialogue
An advocate for peace and cultural diplomacy, he called for dialogue and coexistence between cultures and nations.
Contemplations for Peace
He published the book in 2017, calling for global dialogue and coexistence.
The Hague, 2019
He played a central role in organising the World Forum for the Culture of Peace, held at the International Court of Justice and attended by numerous world leaders.
Malta, 2022
The second World Forum for the Culture of Peace, which he also helped organise, was held in Malta.
United Nations
He was invited several times to address the United Nations General Assembly on the Culture of Peace.
Legacy
Today, AlBabtain Group of Companies stands as a reflection of its founder’s vision and values. Through a lifetime devoted to entrepreneurship, education, literature, culture, diplomacy and peace, he built not only a successful business but a lasting contribution to society.
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