HH Sheikha Intisar AlSabah is the founder of Intisar Foundation and Alnowair; two non-profits focused on advancing mental health, youth well-being and women empowerment. A princess from Kuwait’s royal family, she is a formidable force for change committed to spreading peace and positivity in the Arab region. Sheikha Intisar tells Alliance about her transformative ideas, the role of positive psychology and her own personal experiences in informing her philanthropic work.

Heba Abou Shnief: As a pioneering female figure in the space of mental well-being and social transformation, what principles, values or experiences have helped guide your philanthropic giving?

HH Sheikha Intisar AlSabah is the founder of Intisar Foundation and Alnowair

Sheikha Intisar: From my family experience and my own observations, philanthropic giving in Kuwait and the region emanates either from the heart or the mind. This seemingly binary division has been long-standing with charitable giving being the preponderant form of giving in Kuwait, as well as other neighbouring countries, such as Saudi Arabia. We see the influx of charitable giving when there is a health crisis, famine or when other natural catastrophes hit the region – or there is our religiously-guided giving. It is a humanistic instinct that is driven by impulse. This sense of solidarity is high and manifests across borders. However, this giving tends to stop and is somewhat temporary. When the mind takes over, and you start thinking about the bigger picture, then another process sets in and that is the process of inquiry and exploration of root causes of suffering and injustice.