Established in 2003 by HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Tkiyet Um Ali is the first initiative of its kind in Jordan and in the Arab world. It is considered to be the first non-governmental organization to serve hot meals and provide daily humanitarian aid to Jordan’s poor.

Originally conceptualized by Her Majesty the Late Queen Alia more than 30 years ago, Tkiyet Um Ali is inspired by an Islamic concept of providing food for the poor while demonstrating social responsibility towards those less privileged. With this project, HRH Princess Haya continues Her mother's short-lived, yet rich legacy. The headquarters of Tkiyet Um Ali sit on land in the heart of Jordan’s capital. Deliberations on the project began in 2002, construction began in 2003 and Tkiyet Um Ali, as we know it today, was completed in 2004.

Its mission was to feed the hungry, empower the poor and help mobilize low-income communities through donations. Soon after completion, in 2005, Tkiyet Um Ali began its social research and a year later, launched a daily feeding program that ensures the provision of 350 daily meals for beneficiaries at the organization’s premises. At the same time, Tkiyet Um Ali began delivering food packages to at least 4500 families each month. These supplies, in Tkiyet customized packages, contain 22 different foods that include all basic nutrients and are sufficient for the period of one whole month.

In 2007, in light of the success of its feeding programs, Tkiyet Um Ali launched a rehabilitation and employment program to train and empower the poor and unemployed, develop their skills and provide them with hands-on work experience. The latest of Tkiyet Um Ali's initiatives is Takaya Al-Khair, which opened in 2008. The first of its kind in the Middle East, these free supermarkets allow the poor to secure specific needs with an electronic voucher to preserve their dignity and help them out in their day-to-day struggle against hunger.

In the last five years, Tkiyet Um Ali has become a leading organization in combating hunger in Jordan, having delivered over 160,000 monthly food packages and served over 906,509 hot meals to the poor and needy. Furthermore, in 2010, Tkiyet Um Ali trained 224 individuals.