The philanthropic tradition established by UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, runs deep in the veins of Emiratis, according to a leading figure at Emirates Red Crescent.
Speaking at the Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed on Monday, Dr Hamdan Al Mazrouei, chairman of the board of the Emirates Red Crescent Authority, said the human being is the cornerstone of every UAE initiative.
“We mean human being in its true meaning, without looking at ethnicity, race, or religion,” he said.
“That was what occupied Sheikh Zayed. How to support human beings while also preserving their dignity and this is the path that the UAE is continuing on.”
We have been one of the leading countries in the world to have laws that streamline volunteering and humanitarian work
Hessa Tahlak,
Ministry of Community Development
Dr Al Mazrouei said this dates further back because Emiratis were originally tribesmen sharing their possessions freely.
“This was the Bedouin upbringing and Islamic teachings,” he said.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, recently launched the Mothers’ Endowment campaign, which has already raised Dh1.4 billion to sustainably support the education of millions of people around the world.
“Sustainable endowments are a reflection of the UAE’s ongoing charity work,” Ali Al Mutawa, secretary general of the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation, said.
“The Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation in Dubai have announced Dh10 billion worth in endowments, of which Dh4 billion are dedicated to social projects related to education, health, supporting orphans, widows, and others.
“This number would not have been achieved without us gaining the trust of the public. People would not leave Dh10 million or Dh20 million in endowments if they didn’t trust you, and today, we have all members of society investing their money in endowments.”
Range of campaigns
In the past two years, he said, more than half of contributors were women while endowments are also open to expatriates.
“This just proves that everyone in the UAE is involved in charity work whose foundation was first laid down by Sheikh Zayed, who himself contributed and taught us the rewards and the happiness you get back from giving,” he said.
He said that when residents are asked why they donate, their response is always “because we want to give back a portion to what this country has given us”.
Today, he said, everything can be an endowment as he cited examples such as donors offering the profits from a table at a restaurant to developers dedicating certain apartments.
“Now we have 18 developers who had two to three of their apartments in endowments and each apartment costs around Dh1 million to Dh3 million,” he said.
The most recent, he said, was a Syrian developer who donated 20 apartments worth Dh20 million for orphans.
Just last week, the UAE launched a Dh20 billion humanitarian initiative to honour Sheikh Zayed which aims to improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable communities in the world.
Also at the Majlis, Hessa Tahlak, assistant undersecretary for the social development sector at the Ministry of Community Development, said donating and humanitarian work are part of the UAE’s identity.
“This developed with the development of the UAE,” she said.
“We have been one of the leading countries in the world to have laws that streamline volunteering and humanitarian work.
“Today, there are institutions that have been set up specifically to organise and streamline humanitarian and charitable work and, if this proves anything, it is that we are trying to create a global model to preserve this heritage and identity and make it more sustainable.”
She said there were more than 1,000 non-profit organisations in the UAE with more than 500,000 affiliates.
“They each have a crucial role in the contribution and sustainability of human heritage,” she said.
“Their work is completely voluntary whether inside the country or outside the country.
“During Covid, other countries had inflation. The UAE is the only country whose non-profit organisations alone donated more than Dh400 million.
“I believe what makes us distinctive as Emiratis is that we are charitable and giving people, and it is important to maintain this.”
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Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
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The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Company%20Profile
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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T20 SQUADS
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shinwari, Hassan Ali, Imad Wasim, Waqas Maqsood, Faheem Ashraf.
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