Rahim Al-Hussaini

Some Lesser Known Facts About Rahim Al-Hussaini

• Rahim Al-Hussaini grew up in Geneva and Spain.

  

• He spent his winters in Saint-Moritz and summers in Sardinia.

• In 1981, Rahim Al-Hussaini was pictured at a jamati mulaqat in Kenya and then enjoyed a safari trip with his family.

  

• In July 1983, he attended the Silver Jubilee of his father, Prince Karim Aga Khan, also known as Mawlana Hazar Imam, at the Olympia Hall in London.

  

• After completing his formal education, Rahim Al-Hussaini started working with his father to improve people’s lives worldwide.

• He has worked on the boards of many agencies in the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and led its Environment and Climate Committee.

• Rahim Al-Hussaini is the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM).

• He is also a Board member of the University of Central Asia (UCA) and the Fondation de Chantilly in France.

• AKDN focuses on health care, housing, education, and rural economic development. It operates in more than 30 countries and has an annual budget of about $1 billion for nonprofit projects.

• Queen Elizabeth gave his father, the Aga Khan, the title of ‘His Highness’ in July 1957, two weeks after his grandfather, Aga Khan III, named him heir.

• Over the years, the Aga Khan became a successful businessman and philanthropist. He balanced his spiritual role with worldly affairs.

• Aga Khans are known for promoting Islamic culture and values and for building connections between Muslim societies and the West, avoiding political involvement.

• Many hospitals named after the Aga Khan were built in poor areas with little access to health care such as Bangladesh, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. There, he invested millions in local economies.

• Ismailis originally lived in Iran, Syria, and South Asia before moving to East Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and Australia.

• Ismailis donate up to 12.5% of their income to the Aga Khan as their leader.

• In January 1999, when Rahim Al-Hussaini was working as the Director of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), he represented his father at the inauguration of the first phase of the Azimo thermal power plant at Abidjan. The inaugration was done by Côte d’Ivoire’s President Henry Konan Bédié.

  

• In March 2002, he laid the foundation for the construction of AllTex Limited, a textile factory.

• It was a joint project between Industrial Promotion Services (IPS) and Readymade Garments Industry LLC from Qatar.

• The factory was built in Athi River, near Nairobi.

• His visit to Kenya included the launch of new economic projects and checking the existing ones.

  

• In March 2002, Rahim Al-Hussaini visited Kenya.

• He checked the progress of Friboken Limited, a bean-processing and vegetable-canning plant.

• The plant is part of Industrial Promotion Services (IPS) in Thika.

  

• In June 2002, Rahim Al-Hussaini attended a State Dinner in Austin, Texas, with his father, Prince Karim Aga Khan. The dinner was hosted by Texas Governor Rick Perry.

• The visit was part of the inauguration of the Ismaili Jamatkhana in Houston.

  

• In September 2007, Rahim Al-Hussaini gave a speech at a graduation ceremony.

• The event was for the Institute of Ismaili Studies at the Ismaili Centre in London.

  

• In March 2008, Rahim Al-Hussaini and his sister, Princess Zahra, arrived at Abu Dhabi airport, where they were welcomed by community leaders.

• The visit was for the Golden Jubilee of Prince Karim Aga Khan, His Highness the Aga Khan.

  

• Between 23 April and 1 May 2008, Prince Karim Aga Khan, His Highness the Aga Khan, and Rahim Al-Hussaini visited West Africa.

• As part of the trip, they toured Filtisac, a company in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Filtisac makes jute and polypropylene bags.

• The company is run by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development.

  

• Between 23 April and 1 May 2008, Prince Karim Aga Khan, His Highness the Aga Khan, visited West Africa for his Golden Jubilee, with Rahim Al-Hussaini.

• He attended a dinner in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

• The dinner was hosted in his honour by President Blaise Compaoré, and the Aga Khan gave a speech to the gathering.

  

• On 6 December 2008, Rahim Al-Hussaini attended an event in Ottawa.

• He spoke with John Nuraney, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from British Columbia.

• The event was the inauguration of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat Building on Sussex Drive.

• John Nuraney was the first Muslim elected as an MLA in British Columbia.

  

• On 23 March 2011, Rahim Al-Hussaini and former President of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otunbaeva attended an official event, where they unveiled a commemorative plaque.

• The event marked the opening of the new Head Office of the Kyrgyz Investment and Credit Bank.

  

• On 16 January 2014, Rahim Al-Hussaini attended an event in Nairobi, where he and Professor Njuguna Ndung’u, Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, shook hands.

• They unveiled a plaque to inaugurate the DTB Centre.

  

• On 23 July 2016, Rahim Al-Hussaini attended the Opening Ceremony of the Jubilee Games in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

  

• In 2017, he addressed the staff and students at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London.

  

• On 8 March 2018, Prince Karim Aga Khan, His Highness the Aga Khan, introduced Rahim Al-Hussaini to Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II.

• The introduction took place at a dinner hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.

• The event was held to mark Prince Karim Aga Khan’s Diamond Jubilee.

  

• In July 2018, he was pictured with Princess Salwa, Princes Irfan, and Sinan during their tour to the Rays of Light exhibition in Lisbon during the Diamond Jubilee of Prince Karim Aga Khan, His Highness the Ada Khan.

  

• In 2019, Rahim Al-Hussaini and his wife, Princess Salwa Aga Khan, visited the laboratory of Dr. Stanley Riddell during their tour of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.

  

• In 2020, he, as Chairman of the AKDN Environment and Climate Committee, toured Allpack Industries in Kenya.

• During the visit, Rahim Al-Hussaini reviewed the 560KW solar power unit, an initiative by IPS to improve energy efficiency at Allpack.

• He was accompanied by his wife, the Group Environmental Coordinator of Allpack Industries, Adnan Khalid, and the CEO of Industrial Promotion Services, Galeb Gulam.

  

• On 14 October 2021, Rahim Al-Hussaini and President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon attended a celebration in Paris.

• The event was organised on the 30th anniversary of Tajikistan’s independence and was held at UNESCO’s headquarters.

  

• On 9 February 2022, Rahim Al-Hussaini met with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in New York.

• They discussed the long partnership between the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the United Nations.

• They studied ways to improve collaboration between the two organizations to help marginalized communities in Asia and Africa.

• They recognised the historical connection between the UN and the Ismaili Imamat and agreed on the importance of regular consultation to strengthen their partnership.

• The Secretary-General praised the work of AKDN and called it a symbol of tolerance and solidarity.

  

• In March 2022, Rahim Al-Hussaini inaugurated the Aga Khan Academy in Maputo. He joined President Nyusi and President Rebelo de Sousa when they unveiled the inaugural plaque.

  

• On 4 February 2025, the Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili religious community announced that his father, Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, had died in Portugal.

• Ismaili Muslims believe the Aga Khan is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and consider him a head of state.

• On 5 February 2025, Rahim Al-Hussaini became the new Aga Khan, the leader of Ismaili Muslims, after his father passed away.

• He was named Aga Khan V, the 50th leader of the Ismaili Muslims, in his father’s will.