Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 06–04–2024 Period start date To 05-04-2025 Period end date
Charity name: Foundation for the Study of Ancient Arabia's Languages and Cultures
Charity registration number: 1193702
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | To advance public education throughout the world by recording, studying, interpreting, editing and making freely available online and/or in print and/or by any other method the inscriptions and/or ancient and/or mediaeval written documents and/or rock art found in the Arabian Peninsula and the inscriptions and/or ancient and/or mediaeval documents and/or rock art of similar types to those in the Peninsula found in countries such as, but not limited to, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Israel, and Egypt or items from one or more of these countries now in museums or other collections elsewhere PROVIDING THAT the inscription and/or written material is in a language or script examples of which are found in the Arabian Peninsula. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
To maintain, improve and expand the Online Corpus of the Inscriptions of Ancient North Arabia (OCIANA) by the entry of inscriptions and/or ancient and/or mediaeval written documents and/or rock art which are newly discovered or which are already known but have not yet been entered together with images of these. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | They have. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | Since 8th April 2024 the Charity has been paying a regular grant to a post-doc to enter inscriptions in OCIANA. In the year 2024/25 he entered just over 3,000 inscriptions in the OCIANA database. |
| Policyon social investment | Para 1.38 | N/A |
including program related investment N/A Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | In the year 2024/2025 just over 3,000 inscriptions were entered into the OCIANA database together with all their metadata and photographs. This would have been impossible without the Charity's grant to the post-doc to do the entering. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | The achievements this year have greatly enhanced the material in the OCIANA database which is the principal objective of the charity. |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | There have been no fundraising activities this year |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | N/A |
Other
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end ofthe period |
Para 1.21 | Excellent |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves statingwhy they areheld |
Para 1.22 | Reserves are held for making grants to scholars to enter new material in the OCIANA database |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £11,207.87 as at 15-01-2026 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | N/A |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | N/A |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including Para 1.47 any fundraising) Investment policy and objectives including any Para 1.46 social investment policy adopted A description of the principal Para 1.46 risks facing the charity Other
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
N/A | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed,royalcharter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | The committee elects new members when an existing member's tenure comes to an end |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and Para 1.51 training of trustees The charity’s organisational structure and any wider Para 1.51 network with which the charity works Relationship with any related Para 1.51 parties Other
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Foundation for the Study of Ancient Arabia's Languages and Cultures |
|---|---|
| Other name the charityuses | N/A |
| Registered charitynumber | 1193702 |
| Charity’s principal address | Burmington Manor, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, CV36 5AG |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael C.A. Macdonald |
Chair | Whole year | The Committee of Trustees | |
| Prof Jacob Dahl | Hon Treasurer | Wholeyear | The Committee of Trustees | |
| Dr Orhan Elmaz | Hon Secretary | Wholeyear | The Committee of Trustees | |
| Dr Maria Guagnin | Wholeyear | The Committee of Trustees | ||
| Prof Ahmad Al- Jallad |
Whole year | The Committee of Trustees | ||
Dr Ali Al-Manaser |
Wholeyear | The Committee of Trustees | ||
Dr Laïla Nehmé |
Wholeyear | The Committee of Trustees | ||
Dr Jérôme Norris |
Wholeyear | The Committee of Trustees | ||
Dr Alessia Prioletta |
Wholeyear | The Committee of Trustees | ||
Dr Hythem Sidky |
Wholeyear | The Committee of Trustees | ||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name NONE
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
| Trustee name | Dates acted if not for wholeyear | |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | ||
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets N/A held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of Name Address adviser
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
N/A
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) Jacob Lebovitch Dahl Michael Christopher Archibald Macdonald Position (eg Secretary, Chair Hon Treasurer Chair, etc) Date 21-01-2026
| THE FOUNDATION FOR THE STUDY OF ANCIENT ARABIA | THE FOUNDATION FOR THE STUDY OF ANCIENT ARABIA | THE FOUNDATION FOR THE STUDY OF ANCIENT ARABIA | THE FOUNDATION FOR THE STUDY OF ANCIENT ARABIA | CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
06/04/2024 | To | |||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 50 - - - - - - - 50 - - - 50 60 13 160 1 440 - - - - - - 14 660 - - - 14 660 - 14 610 - 31 846 17 236 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
| interests | 50 | - - - - - - - - - |
50 - - - - - - - 50 |
- | |
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
50 | - | |||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||
| - | - - - |
- - - |
|||
| - | - | ||||
| Sub total | - | - | |||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||
| - | 50 | - | |||
| Bank Fees | 60 | - - - - - - - - - - |
60 13 160 1 440 - - - - - - 14 660 |
- | |
| Grants to Josef Bloomfield (paid by online transfer) |
13 160 | - | |||
| Grant to D M Burt (paid by online transfer) | 1 440 | - | |||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| **Sub total ** | 14 660 | - | |||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||
| - | - - - |
- - - |
|||
| - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | |||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
14 660 | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - 14 610 | - |
- 14 610 | - | ||
| - | - - |
- 31 846 |
- | ||
| 31 846 | - | ||||
| 17 236 | - |
17 236 | - |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unre8trl¢tsd Restrlctsd fund$ fund8 to nMr••t£ Endowm•nt fund$ CatsgoThe8 Dotails 31 Cash funds Total cash fund8 sll UTrre$trid•d funds Restricted fund¥ tonèAve•t£ Endowmtrnt fund8 to nDJr•st£ Details Fumltowhkh Cur¥•nt valuF etails CC4t{opUonj Curtent valu Detsils B4 Assets retained for th• charlty'B own uso Furnltol¢h Ajnourtthe Wkn•n dufy Details 35 Llabllitles Slgned by one 0[9 tru5te&s on behalf of all the trustees Date of roval Signats4 Ptint Name Jacob L Dahl Michael C.A. Macdonald 2-2-2026 2-2-2026 CCXX R2 acg)unts ISSI