The UAE distributed more than Dh206 billion in international aid from 2010 to 2021, the latest government figures show.
The data was published in a report by the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
It showed the country was ranked the world’s leading development aid donor for four consecutive years, and second and fourth during the same period in other years.
The UAE’s foreign aid falls under three main categories: development, humanitarian and charitable relief.
Development aid made up 87.7 per cent of the total, while humanitarian and charitable aid accounted for 9.9 per cent and 2.4 per cent, respectively.
Officials said 59.1 per cent of the development aid was in the form of grants, which recipient countries are not required to repay, while concessional loans accounted for 40.9 per cent.
The aid covered 25 sectors and 131 sub-sectors.
About half of the aid was sent to Africa, 40 per cent to Asian nations and 5 per cent to Europe, the Americas and Oceania. Five per cent of the total went to multilateral programmes and organisations.
UAE foreign aid supported the sustainable development goals set by the UN General Assembly in 2015.
The Emirates offered Dh110.46bn ($30.07bn) of foreign aid between 2016 and 2020.
Data showed Dh1.97bn of aid was used to support the renewable energy sector from 2010 to 2020. The UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund and the UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund received $50m each.
More than Dh6.17bn ($1.68bn), 6.2 per cent of the total foreign aid budget, was allocated to women’s empowerment and protection programmes.
The UAE has sent more than 2,250 tonnes of medical aid to about 136 countries since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has supported the World Health Organisation and the World Food Programme by providing half a million PCR test kits, valued at Dh36.7m ($10m).
International organisations based at International Humanitarian City in Dubai sent more than 955 aid shipments to 177 countries.
The country also helped to transport two field hospitals from Norway and Belgium to Ghana and Ethiopia at a cost of $4m. Field hospitals were also set up in Jordan, Guinea, Sudan, Mauritania, Lebanon and Sierra Leone.
In addition, the UAE backed the Global Partnership for Education, paying Dh367m ($100m) from 2018 to 2020 in three stages to support schooling in 90 countries.
In July 2021, the Emirates pledged to provide the same amount to support a strategic global partnership plan for education over the next five years.
UAE sends aid to Rwanda - in pictures
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
The five pillars of Islam
More on Quran memorisation:
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The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
