Wafic Saïd fled his home in Damascus, Syria, in 1963 at the age of 23, carrying only a single suitcase, after a military coup had brought the Arab Socialist Ba’ath party to power. His experiences in exile, and witnessing the difficulties faced by people who did not get the opportunity to flee the country at the time, developed into a deep commitment to supporting the people of Syria, as well as the neighbouring peoples of Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, who share a common heritage and face similar present-day challenges.
As part of his lifelong commitment to seeing his country-of-origin flourish, Wafic Saïd has sought to support Syria’s development through his philanthropic work. For example, he established the first Disability Programme in Syria in 1996, building human capacity in this sector across the entire country until the conflict in Syria made it impossible to continue. He also funded the refurbishment of two historic buildings at Damascus University, which was founded by his father Rida Saïd, to provide new facilities that it lacked.
During the conflict, the Saïd Foundation provided over £20 million for emergency humanitarian assistance, education, child protection, and healthcare for Syrian children and their families who had fled to Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. This support was implemented by international agencies and non-governmental organisations like the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Rescue Committee, and Save the Children.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, Wafic Saïd has been able to return to Syria and, circumstances permitting, is now working to support its development needs especially in healthcare and education.