Social Work in the Middle East: Bridging Tradition and Modernity

Social work in the Middle East developed through a unique interplay of religious tradition, colonial influence, and modern university-driven professionalization. While Western models initially shaped the profession during the early-to-mid twentieth century, recent decades have witnessed efforts to create culturally responsive approaches that honor both Islamic values and contemporary practice standards. From Saudi Arabia’s religiously mandated welfare systems to Israel’s university-based academic programs, the region demonstrates diverse pathways for integrating tradition with modernity in social welfare provision.

Islamic principles shaping modern social work
Saudi Arabia’s Zakat-based welfare framework
Digital innovation in religious welfare
Israel’s university-driven social work model
Navigating multicultural practice challenges
Regional approaches across Turkey, Lebanon, and Iraq
Turkey’s expanding social protection systems
Lebanon and Iraq’s conflict-affected services
Bridging traditional values and professional standards

The integration of Islamic teachings with professional social work has become increasingly important across the Middle East. Western social work models were exported to the region during colonial periods, often with minimal consideration for cultural appropriateness. This created tension as practitioners sought to reconcile imported frameworks with local values.

Islamic principles naturally align with core social work values in several areas. The concept of service mirrors Islam’s emphasis on charity and philanthropy, while social justice connects to Islamic teachings about fairness and equity for all members of society. The principle of Ihsan, meaning acting virtuously toward others, strengthens the professional commitment to human relationships. Rahmah, encompassing mercy and compassion, guides practitioners in their work with vulnerable populations.

Research demonstrates no fundamental conflict between Islamic values and social work ethics. Both emphasize dignity, human worth, integrity, and competence. Islamic concepts like mutual guarantee and collective responsibility support community-based interventions, while the prohibition against oppression reinforces advocacy roles. This compatibility has encouraged efforts to develop indigenous practice models that draw on both Islamic heritage and evidence-based methods.

Saudi Arabia’s Zakat-based welfare framework

Saudi Arabia offers a distinctive example of how religious obligations can structure modern social protection systems. Zakat, the third pillar of Islam requiring Muslims to give 2.5 percent of their wealth annually, forms the foundation of the country’s welfare approach. Unlike voluntary charity systems in many countries, Saudi Arabia implemented compulsory Zakat payment laws administered through government agencies.

The General Authority for Zakat and Tax collects funds from Saudi individuals and companies, then transfers them to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development for distribution. This institutional arrangement merges religious mandate with governmental infrastructure, ensuring systematic coverage. The latest statistics show that social security beneficiaries reached 884,063 individuals, demonstrating the scale of this religiously grounded welfare system.

Digital innovation in religious welfare

Technology has modernized Zakat administration without compromising its religious foundations. The Zakati mobile application allows citizens to calculate and pay Zakat electronically, with funds directly deposited into beneficiaries’ bank accounts. Since its launch, the service has received over 371 million Saudi Riyals, with 75 million collected during Ramadan alone. Users can select specific vulnerable categories including divorced women’s families, prisoners’ families, and those needing housing assistance.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have embedded Zakat in their social protection budgets, using it to finance part or all of social welfare expenditures. This integration represents a sustainable model where religious obligation supports state welfare provision, creating a dual system responsive to both faith-based and civic responsibilities.

Israel developed social work through academic institutions and international Jewish diaspora support. The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work at Hebrew University opened in 1958, marking the first academic social work program in the country. The school received initial funding from the Joint Distribution Committee, an American Jewish humanitarian organization that had previously operated a social work school in post-war France.

This university-based approach created a professionalized workforce grounded in academic theory and research. While pedagogical frameworks derived from American literature, Israel increasingly developed courses unique to regional contexts. The curriculum addresses the country’s cultural diversity, ongoing conflicts with neighbors, and the complex dynamics between Jewish and Arab populations.

Navigating multicultural practice challenges

Israel’s social work education confronts unique challenges stemming from the country’s demographic composition and political realities. Studies indicate that students need specialized training in culturally sensitive practice to address racism, multiculturalism, and psychosocial intervention in conflict zones. Arab social workers face particular challenges navigating practice within Israel’s predominantly Jewish society, including language barriers and political tensions.

The Hebrew University’s Paul Baerwald School now employs over thirty full-time faculty members and maintains numerous field placements. The institution has contributed significantly to developing social policy frameworks and professional standards. However, debates continue about whether curricula adequately prepare Arab social work students for the multicultural contexts they encounter in practice.

Regional approaches across Turkey, Lebanon, and Iraq

Turkey, Lebanon, and Iraq each developed distinct social work systems shaped by their specific political and social circumstances. Turkey has built extensive refugee support infrastructure in response to the Syrian crisis, while Lebanon and Iraq struggle with limited resources amid ongoing instability.

Turkey hosts over 3.4 million Syrian refugees, prompting significant expansion of social services. The Emergency Social Safety Net program demonstrates innovative approaches to refugee support, enrolling around one million beneficiaries including Syrians, Afghans, and Iraqis. The program uses Turkey’s advanced banking infrastructure to deliver cash assistance via debit cards, targeting vulnerable groups like single-parent families and elderly individuals.

Turkey’s well-developed civil society sector complements government services. Syrian aid organizations based in Turkey have emerged as important service providers, though language barriers and cultural differences create integration challenges compared to neighboring Arab countries.

Lebanon and Iraq’s conflict-affected services

Lebanon faces severe strain from hosting large refugee populations with limited resources. Service providers report shortages in long-term rehabilitation services, with psychosocial support receiving lower priority than basic needs like shelter and food. Palestinian refugees from Syria face particular exclusion from certain services due to mandate distinctions between relief agencies.

Iraq’s social work development has been severely impacted by decades of conflict. Mental health care remains underdeveloped, with psychiatric services limited to privileged populations served by private clinics or large institutional facilities. International relief agencies have expanded mental health programs, but sustainability remains questionable when external funding ends. Training programs for psychologists, social workers, and nurses require strengthening to build local capacity.

Bridging traditional values and professional standards

The Middle East demonstrates that social work can successfully integrate religious and cultural values with professional practice standards. Saudi Arabia’s Zakat system shows how religious obligations can fund modern welfare infrastructure. Israel’s university model illustrates academic professionalization through international collaboration. Turkey, Lebanon, and Iraq reveal both the challenges and innovations emerging from crisis response.

Common threads unite these diverse approaches. All emphasize family-centered practice, respect for religious beliefs, and community-based interventions. North African and Middle Eastern nations have an 80-year history with social work, moving from colonial imported models toward locally responsive practices. Success requires ongoing dialogue between traditional values and evidence-based methods, ensuring services remain culturally congruent while maintaining professional effectiveness.

What do you think? How can social work programs better balance religious and cultural values with universal professional standards? What lessons from Middle Eastern approaches might benefit social work development in other regions?

References

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Table of Contents

Islamic principles shaping modern social work 🔗

Saudi Arabia’s Zakat-based welfare framework 🔗

Digital innovation in religious welfare 🔗

Israel’s university-driven social work model 🔗

Navigating multicultural practice challenges 🔗

Regional approaches across Turkey, Lebanon, and Iraq 🔗

Turkey’s expanding social protection systems 🔗

Lebanon and Iraq’s conflict-affected services 🔗

Bridging traditional values and professional standards 🔗

References

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Origin and Development of Social Work

Islamic principles shaping modern social work