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MA’AN Development Center

Website:

www.maan-ctr.org/en
Type:

Palestinian Training and Development Organization
Location:

Ramallah, West Bank
Formation:

1989
General Director:

Sami Khader

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The MA’AN Development Center is a Palestinian development and training organization based in Ramallah, West Bank. As of 2025, the organization claims to consist of 218 executive staff members, with 56 percent of its executive staff being women, due to “the positive discrimination that the center uses in its hiring processes.” 1

The MA’AN Development Center is a supporter of the anti-Israel boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, an international campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel by isolating the country economically through consumer boycotts, business and government withdrawal of investment, and legal sanctions. In 2009, MA’AN released a report titled “Boycott, Divestment, & Sanctions: Lessons learned in effective solidarity” that discussed the campaign and strategies to implement. In November 2023, it was a signatory on a released statement calling for a “Two-Way Arms Embargo on Israel,” which the statement claimed was “both a legal and a moral obligation.” 2 3

In June 2024, the MA’AN Center released an article titled “When Gaza exposes the fragility and hypocrisy of the international system,” which claimed that “Israeli killing machine in the Gaza Strip committed thousands of horrific and gruesome massacres,” and later called those killed “tens of thousands of martyrs.” 4

Background

The MA’AN Development Center, also known as MA’AN, is a Palestinian development and training organization based in Ramallah, West Bank. The organization was founded in 1989 to support “the national liberation process” of the Palestinian territories from what the group claimed was “the Israeli occupation.” 1

As of 2025, the organization claims to consist of 218 executive staff members, while further claiming that roughly 56 percent of its executive staff are women due to “the positive discrimination that the center uses in its hiring processes.” 1 According to its website, MA’AN states that its main target groups are “rural women,” farmers, agricultural engineers, youth, and NGOs, and their members. 5

MA’AN’s organizational structure consists of a general assembly of 67 members that governs the organization’s policies and strategies. It also sets MA’AN’s strategic targets and general objectives. Members of the general assembly claim to be “experts” in women’s studies, sociology, education, economics, computer science, and agriculture. 6

MA’AN’s board of directors is elected by the general assembly every two years and consists of nine members. The board sets short-term objectives for the organization and supervises its operations. MA’AN also has a recruitment subcommittee and a financial subcommittee. 7 8

The organization’s director general is appointed by the board of directors and is responsible for MA’AN’s overall operations. Sami Khader, one of the co-founders of MA’AN, is the director general as of November 2025. 9

Activities

Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions  (BDS) Movement

The MA’AN Development Center is a supporter of the anti-Israel boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, an international campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel by isolating the country economically through consumer boycotts, business and government withdrawal of investment, and legal sanctions. In 2009, MA’AN released a report titled “Boycott, Divestment, & Sanctions: Lessons learned in effective solidarity” that discussed the campaign and strategies to implement it at the time.  2  10

In November 2023, MA’AN was a signatory on a letter released to “Third States” claiming that “Israel’s colonial settlement enterprise” is “one policy designed to maintain an institutionalised regime of racial domination and oppression over the Palestinian people as a whole.” The letter was also published and signed by Al-Haq. 11  12  13

Anti-Israel Activity

The MA’AN Development Center has previously released, or was the signatory or, statements attacking the state of Israel while also criticizing other countries as well as international organizations for either their support of Israel or not doing enough to support Palestinian nationalism. In May 2023, the group was a signatory of a statement accusing the European Commission of “using racist anti-Palestinian tropes and denying Palestinian history and the atrocities of the Nakba” in its statement commemorating the state of Israel’s Independence Day on May 14 that year.  14

In October 2023, MA’AN was a signatory of a statement that claimed Israel was an occupying force, committing human rights violations and “crimes against humanity,” including the “crime of apartheid.”  15

In November 2023, MA’AN was a signatory on a released statement calling for a “Two-Way Arms Embargo on Israel,” which the statement claimed was “both a legal and a moral obligation.” The statement also called for supporting states to “halt the provision” of anything it claimed could “be used in the commission of serious international law violations, including international crimes.”  3

In June 2024, the MA’AN Center released an article titled “When Gaza exposes the fragility and hypocrisy of the international system,” which claimed that “Israeli killing machine in the Gaza Strip committed thousands of horrific and gruesome massacres,” and later called those killed “tens of thousands of martyrs.”  4

Funding

The MA’AN Development Center has previously received funding from the European Commission through five budgetary commitments amounting to approximately €9.08 million (around $10.5 million) between 2014 and 2021. According to NGO Monitor, MA’AN had also received roughly €3.4 million (over $3.9 million) between 2021 and 2025 for a project to “Build Economic Resilience in Gaza.” The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) was also listed as being a part of the project. UAWC is an affiliate of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), an umbrella organization for militant groups connected to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). As of December 2025, the U.S. State Department lists the PFLP as a designated foreign terrorist organization. 16 17 18 19

MA’AN has also received government funding from countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Canada. Norway granted a total of NOK 11.8 million (approximately $1.1 million) between 2017 and 2021. 20

Canada granted MA’AN $909,091 in 2020, France granted $5,107 in 2021, Italy granted $72,400 in 2022, and the United Kingdom granted $3,552,577 in 2023. MA’AN also received a grant of $584,547 and another for $254,021 in 2023 from the United Nations Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund. 21 22 23 24 25 26

References

  1. “What is MA’AN?.” April 11, 2014. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.maan-ctr.org/en/Article/22/What-is-MA%E2%80%99AN. 
  2. Lendman, Stephen. “Lessons of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.” Palestine Chronicle. January 22, 2010. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.palestinechronicle.com/lessons-of-boycott-divestment-and-sanctions/. 
  3. “Ending Complicity in International Crimes: a Two-Way Arms Embargo on Israel.” Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/22123.html. 
  4. Karzoum, George. “When Gaza exposes the fragility and hypocrisy of the international system….” MA’AN Development Center. June 1, 2024. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.maan-ctr.org/magazine/article/4249/. 
  5. “MA’AN’s Target Groups & Beneficiaries.” Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.maan-ctr.org/en/Article/350/ma%E2%80%99an%E2%80%99s-target-groups-&–beneficiaries. 
  6. “General Assembly.” Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.maan-ctr.org/en/Article/353/general-assembly. 
  7. “Board of Directors.” Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.maan-ctr.org/en/Article/354/board-of-directors. 
  8. “The BoD Subcommittees.” Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.maan-ctr.org/en/Article/355/the-bod-subcommittees. 
  9. “Staff.” November 18, 2014. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.maan-ctr.org/en/Article/136/staff. 
  10. News, BBC. “BDS Israel boycott group is anti-Semitic, says US.” BBC News. November 19, 2020. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-54999010. 
  11. “Palestinian Groups Send a Letter to Third States on the Dangerous Escalation of Settler Violence against Palestinians.” Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/22122.html. 
  12. “About Al-Haq.” April 4, 2023. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.alhaq.org/about-alhaq/7136.html. 
  13. “Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC) statement on BDS movement.” April 4, 2023. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.alhaq.org/palestinian-human-rights-organizations-council/6442.html. 
  14. “Palestinian Civil Society denounce EU Commission statement.” Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/21448.html. 
  15. “Palestinian Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) call for the protection of the Palestinian people.” Coalition for Accountability and Integrity – AMAN. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.aman-palestine.org/en/category-542/25928.html. 
  16. “Financial Transparency System Data from 2014 to 2024.” European Commission. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://ec.europa.eu/budget/financial-transparency-system/analysis.html. 
  17. “Ma’an Development Center – ngomonitor.” August 21, 2024. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://ngo-monitor.org/ngos/ma_an_development_center/. 
  18. “Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.” March 20, 2023. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Popular-Front-for-the-Liberation-of-Palestine. 
  19. “Foreign Terrorist Organization.” U.S. Department of State. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/. 
  20. “MAAN – Integrated support to selected communities in Jordan Valley.” Accessed November 28, 2025. https://resultater.norad.no/agreement/PAL-17/0015. 
  21. “Details for Flow ID #209273.” Financial Tracking Service. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://fts.unocha.org/flows/209273. 
  22. “Details for Flow ID #243797.” Financial Tracking Service. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://fts.unocha.org/flows/243797?destination=/countries/171/flows/2021%3Ff%255B0%255D%3DsourceOrganizationIdName%253A4314%253AFrance%252C%2520Government%2520of. 
  23. “Details for Flow ID #281092.” Financial Tracking Service. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://fts.unocha.org/flows/281092?destination=/countries/171/flows/2023%3Ff%255B0%255D%3DdestinationOrganizationIdName%253A5771%253AMA%2527AN%2520Development%2520Center. 
  24. “Details for Flow ID #281093.” Financial Tracking Service. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://fts.unocha.org/flows/281093?destination=/countries/171/flows/2023%3Ff%255B0%255D%3DdestinationOrganizationIdName%253A5771%253AMA%2527AN%2520Development%2520Center. 
  25. “Details for Flow ID #257248.” Financial Tracking Service. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://fts.unocha.org/flows/257248?destination=/countries/171/flows/2022%3Ff%255B0%255D%3DsourceOrganizationIdName%253A3774%253AItaly%252C%2520Government%2520of. 
  26. “Details for Flow ID #288632.” Financial Tracking Service. Accessed November 28, 2025. https://fts.unocha.org/flows/288632?destination=/countries/171/flows/2023%3Ff%255B0%255D%3DsourceOrganizationIdName%253A2917%253AUnited%2520Kingdom%252C%2520Government%2520of. 
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