# Said Foundation

Said Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in London, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** London, United Kingdom
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** London, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 1982
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** saidfoundation.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/said-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Said Foundation is a charitable organization established in 1982 in London, United Kingdom. It focuses on education and scholarship programs, offering financial support for undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA studies. The organization was formerly known as The Karim Rida Said Foundation.

## Sectors

- Education
- Healthcare Services

## People

- Wafic Saïd — Founder
- Khaled Saïd — Chairman
- Rosemary Saïd — Trustee
- Rasha Saïd Khawaja — Trustee

## Questions

### What is the relationship between the Said Foundation and the Saïd Business School at Oxford?

Wafic Saïd donated £20 million to establish the Saïd Business School in 1996, and he remains a Foundation Fellow of Somerville College. However, the foundation and the business school are legally separate entities — the school is part of Oxford University, while the foundation is an independent UK-registered charity focused on educational grants for Syrian and Palestinian students across multiple universities, not just Oxford.

### Where does Wafic Saïd's wealth originate?

His wealth derives primarily from facilitating the Al-Yamamah agreement, the UK's largest-ever arms export deal with Saudi Arabia. As a Syrian-born Saudi national with relationships in both countries, Saïd acted as an intermediary between BAE Systems and the Saudi government through the 1980s. The deal generated an estimated £43 billion in contracts, and Saïd's commission and related construction ventures formed the basis of his fortune.

### How does the foundation select scholarship recipients?

The foundation runs an in-house selection process for Syrian and Palestinian master's degree candidates at UK universities, focusing on academic merit and demonstrated commitment to returning to their home regions after completing studies. It does not accept unsolicited individual applications — candidates must apply to both a partner university and the foundation through a coordinated admissions cycle.

### Who runs the foundation on a day-to-day basis?

Khaled Saïd, Wafic's son, serves as Chairman and is the most visible family member in foundation governance. Day-to-day operations are managed by a professional staff in London, overseen by a board that includes Rosemary Saïd (Wafic's wife) and Rasha Saïd Khawaja (his daughter). Lord Charles Powell, a former advisor to Margaret Thatcher, has historically served as a trustee and senior advisor to the Saïd family offices.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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