Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed named chair of UAE's Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity

Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed has been named as chair of the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, a UAE philanthropic organisation that aims to advance health care in vulnerable communities around the world.

Under the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed, Sheikha Mariam was appointed to the role to support the growth of the foundation, which was established in March.

She will be supported by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, who will serve as vice chair, state news agency Wam reported on Monday.

“The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity reflects the philanthropic legacy of our nation and the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan," said Sheikha Mariam.

"It is an honour to continue guiding this commitment towards serving humanity and investing in the building blocks of human progress to enable people everywhere to thrive.”

Sheikha Mariam, also deputy chairwoman of the Presidential Court for National Projects, has in recent years taken on several key roles focused on supporting the development of the UAE.

She was appointed as chair of the Quality of Education Centre in July 2023, two months after being named vice chairwoman of the Education and Human Resources Council. She supervised the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and was instrumental in establishing the Founder's Memorial, which celebrates the legacy of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

In 2017, Sheikha Mariam received the Pride of the UAE Award in recognition of her work to support humanitarian and academic endeavours. Sheikh Hamdan is also Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs.

Global support

The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity will seek to enhance healthcare services as part of a broader effort to change the lives of people with limited access to critical resources. The foundation will invest in health systems to boost workforces in less wealthy nations and provide new equipment to help tackle preventable diseases.

It is hoped its programmes will reach more than 500 million people in more than 50 countries across Asia, Africa and the Middle East in a five-year period.

In April, the foundation unveiled its first major project, aimed at preventing 300,000 deaths in childbirth in sub-Saharan Africa over the next five years as part of a $600 million healthcare strategy.

The foundation will also work with African governments, national organisations and experts to provide access to quality care for 34 million mothers and babies by 2030. It will operate in 10 African countries – Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe – to help improve maternal and newborn survival rates.