The key facts
- MBRGI will allocate Dh150 million ($40.8 million) to 11 UAE charitable organisations
- The announcement was made in the presence of Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed
- The Ahmed bin Rashid Humanitarian Bridge initiative will deliver 450 tonnes of food to Gaza by air and 4,000 tonnes by ship
Major donation for humanitarian causes
Dubai announced on Thursday the allocation of Dh150 million ($40.8 million) to support humanitarian campaigns across the country, including the delivery of vital medical aid and support for civilians in the Gaza Strip affected by the war. The funds will be provided by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) foundation to eleven UAE-based charitable groups to strengthen their work at home and abroad.
Recipients of the funds
Among the recipients are the UAE's Operation Gallant Knight, established in response to the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023 to help the civilian population, as well as the Al Jalila Foundation — the charitable arm of Dubai Health, which focuses on medical research, education and treatment. The other recipients are: Tarahum Charity Foundation, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charitable Establishment, Emirates Health Services, the UAE Food Bank, Beit Al Khair Society, Dar Al Ber Society, the Fujairah Charity Association, Noor Dubai and Digital School.
Announcement ceremony
The announcement of the funding was made in the presence of Dubai's Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. He praised the philanthropic vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, who founded MBRGI in 2015. According to Sheikh Hamdan, the foundation 'continues to provide all the necessary resources for developing charitable and humanitarian work in the UAE', and the new allocation underscores its commitment to the needs of society. The signing of the funding agreements was witnessed by Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Secretary-General of MBRGI.
Scale of the foundation's activities
Over the past year, MBRGI distributed Dh2.3 billion to benefit 165 million people in 122 countries. The foundation was established in 2015 to manage relief and rescue operations, as well as to launch projects combating poverty, hunger, health issues and inequality in education.
Aid to Gaza
The new funding will bolster the UAE's ongoing humanitarian campaign for Gaza, as the enclave's population faces the consequences of the war between Israel and Hamas. In September, MBRGI launched the Ahmed bin Rashid Humanitarian Bridge initiative, which aims to deliver more than 10 million meals to Palestinians. This month, it began delivering food parcels to Gaza in partnership with Operation Gallant Knight 3. The initiative is named after Sheikh Ahmed, the brother of Sheikh Mohammed, who died on 21 September. As part of the initiative, volunteers, community members and admirers of Sheikh Ahmed gathered at the Dubai World Trade Centre to prepare food parcels and aid for Gaza. The humanitarian bridge will operate by air and sea in seven consignments: six flights will deliver 450 tonnes of food parcels, and one ship will transport 4,000 tonnes of cargo to meet the basic nutritional needs of Gaza's residents.
