In 1966, the Government of the State of Kuwait, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), established the “Kuwait Institute for Economic and Social Planning in the Middle East” as an independent Kuwaiti institution. This initiative was launched in accordance with the agreement concluded at the time between the Government of Kuwait and the UNDP, covering the first five years of the institute’s inception.
Upon the conclusion of that initial period, and in response to the request of the Government of Kuwait, along with several other Arab governments—motivated by their belief in the vital role of planning in achieving Arab economic and social development, and their commitment to strengthening ties, unifying efforts, and enhancing Arab development cooperation—procedures were initiated in 1972 to transform the institute into an independent Arab institution under the name “The Arab Planning Institute in Kuwait”. During this transitional phase, the United Nations continued its support for an additional five years by providing number of international experts and a series of training scholarships.
Between 1978 and 1980, the founding and acceding Arab states formally approved the agreement establishing the Arab Planning Institute (API). It was thereby recognized as an independent, non-profit Arab institution whose principal mission is to support the development efforts of Arab countries through the preparation of consultancy studies and research, conducting capacity-building programs, provision of institutional support, organization of development-focused conferences, and publication of specialized development literature.