It's been a pretty miserable time for charity fundraisers around the world. In a downturn, contributions tend to dry up, companies slash their goodwill budgets and individuals retreat into their own worried little worlds, unwilling to risk taking time off to help good causes.
The pattern is depressingly familiar and people like the Gulf4Good founder Brian Wilkie freely admit that last year was their worst ever. The Dubai-based charity, which supports projects around the Gulf region by organising fundraising "challenges" for groups of adventurous Emiratis and expatriates, had to postpone a trip to Thailand earlier this year because there simply weren't enough volunteers.
"Last year was very bad. We had one challenge postponed because we didn't get enough people signing up. It's partly group dynamics and partly cost. The cost is huge if we don't have the minimum numbers," says Wilkie, a businessman, who was appointed MBE two years ago for "services to British commercial interests and charitable activities in Dubai".
Fortunately, he believes that the situation is improving and that there are distinct signs that people are beginning to relax again. Numbers of people signing up for challenges are increasing again and currently two groups from the UAE have just returned after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money to support Community Projects Africa.
"Like all charities we suffer from the ups and downs of the markets. Last year we had many more women signing up than men. It was quite obvious when we did Annapurna in November. We had 13 people and nine were women. The men were saying, 'I don't want to take time off work or ask people for money.'
"But things are looking up. We have already got 10 people for the Thailand challenge in November. We've sent two groups up Kilimanjaro this summer and two groups to Lebanon."
For one group of young male Emirati students from Dubai Men's College it was a life-changing experience. They were deeply affected by seeing for themselves the plight of people living in the Shatila Camp in Beirut, home to more than 12,000 Palestinian refugees.
Says Wilkie: "It is a very disturbing sight. The bullet and shell holes from the 1982 invasion are still there. Most of these people have lost their passports and they can't go anywhere. There are doctors, architects and teachers who can't work and can't go anywhere else. It was a very moving experience for the young Emirati students to come face to face with people like this whose lives have been devastated by conflict.
"We were giving them dental equipment, as you can't get dental equipment in there easily. The students were also very affected by what they saw at an orphanage in the Bekaa Valley. It's surrounded by vineyards and very green, but the children are still orphans or they may have been abandoned by their parents. Quite clearly when the group returned to the UAE they talked about their experiences and the week after they got back I got a call from another professor who wanted to bring a group to Thailand."
While he enjoys great success today, when Wilkie began setting up Gulf4Good in 2001 under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and the chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, he discovered that convincing people that it was an exciting way of doing good was his biggest obstacle.
They would also point to the fact that they already paid Zakat to help the poor and needy.
"It's always easier for people here to give money than actually do something physically and, of course, we have Zakat and people quite reasonably ask why they need to give anything else. When we started the charity here we often got the same response that we used to get in England: 'Why should I pay for you to go off on a jolly?' But once people have done it they begin to understand. These are tough challenges. You spend 11 or 12 days of trekking eight hours a day getting up at 3am to start."
Wilkie insists that people don't need to be fitness fanatics to take up one of the Gulf4Good challenges. People of all shapes and sizes and levels of fitness have taken part. The great thing for him is seeing them succeed.
"I love seeing people who tell me they've never done anything like that walking up Kilimanjaro and getting to the top with tears streaming down their faces. They always say the same thing: 'I never thought I could do that'. It's good to see people stretching themselves and getting out of their comfort zone. There's this huge emotional happiness when they complete the challenge. And when we go to an orphanage that we are helping to build and see the conditions the children are living in all the aches and pains are forgotten."
Wilkie, who was born in Ootacamund, India, had what he describes as "a real expat childhood".
"The day after my fourth birthday in 1953, I was on the last troopship out of India. My mother was a real colonial. When she got back to Portsmouth, she was 26 years old and had never boiled an egg or washed the floor," he says.
He was supposed to go to university after A-levels, but a chance trip to an exhibition for schoolboys at Olympia changed those plans. "There was a stand advertising £10 emigration to Australia and I decided to go. I definitely had the wanderlust. Children of expats generally do because they have no fear of overseas. Most of my friends in England had never even been as far as Calais."
He originally came to Dubai on a three-month visit in the 1970s when he was working for a British company selling fire equipment, and the three months gradually became permanent after he met and married his wife, Sami.
A former chairman of the British Business Group, he is a well known Dubai entrepreneur who launched and founded Memo Express, the city's first motorcycle messenger service. He owns the courier consolidator company Universal Express and Enviroserve, a recycling company.
He had the idea of starting the charity after an old friend, Paul Oliver, managing director of Absolute Adventure, asked him to support a fundraising trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money to buy an ambulance in Kenya. "We ended up raising enough to buy three ambulances and that's how Gulf4Good was set up. People were very supportive and liked the idea of doing something for charity that was also very good fun.
"I had been working here for over 20 years and was reasonably well known and had a good network and I was able to get to see Sheikh Ahmed who agreed to be our patron. It's very important because it shows that people have checked you out."
The charity aims to bring together Gulf nationals and residents in a good cause, to encourage people to push their own limits, to show people the value and enjoyment of motivation, commitment and helping others and to raise large sums for worthwhile projects.
Money raised through each challenge is spent on projects involving children in the area in which the challenge takes place.
Money raised has been used to build a community hospital in Nepal, classrooms in Tanzania, deliver four ambulances to Kenya, equip schools in Jordan and Oman, provide medical equipment in Palestine and China, build a training centre for disabled children in Sri Lanka, supply equipment for blind students in Oman, build a teaching centre in Borneo, refurbish orphanages in Thailand, Cambodia and Egypt and supply two mobile hospitals in the Delhi slums.
Volunteers have to raise the cost of the flights and accommodation and two thirds of what they raise goes to the charity. Many go back again and again.
Plans are already well underway for an exciting new project in November that will include a cycling challenge following a historical route through rural Cuba from the Bay of Pigs, through Trinidad to Cienfuegos and Havana. Funds raised will support the disadvantaged children of Cuba and Haiti.
Another challenge involves hiking, cycling and kayaking 345km through the remote jungle and hill tribe villages of the Golden Triangle in northern Thailand, and raising funds for the Human Development Foundation's work with disadvantaged Thai children, with treks to Malaysia, Nepal and Everest Base camp already in the diary for next year.
Wilkie is confident that places on the new adventures will be filled up rapidly.
"People are more confident about their jobs and their futures and fundraising is just a bit easier."
For more information visit www.gulf4good.org
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYodawy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarim%20Khashaba%2C%20Sherief%20El-Feky%20and%20Yasser%20AbdelGawad%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2424.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlgebra%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20MEVP%20and%20Delivery%20Hero%20Ventures%2C%20among%20others%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20500%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
The biog
Age: 35
Inspiration: Wife and kids
Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia
Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
More from Aya Iskandarani
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
Scoreline
Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)
Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
