UAE marks International Day of Charity with sustainable giving

The UAE will mark the International Day of Charity on Saturday, an occasion that reaffirms the deeply rooted culture of giving in Emirati society and reflects the development of charitable and humanitarian work from responding to urgent needs to building more sustainable solutions that enhance quality of life and open up wider opportunities for individuals and communities.

Humanitarian and development initiatives this year have reflected a shift towards more sustainable giving, combining responses to hunger, crises and disasters with investment in education, healthcare, water, empowerment and capacity-building. This approach addresses immediate needs while creating better opportunities and conditions for the future.

Among the most prominent initiatives this year is the Edge of Life campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, with the aim of saving five million children worldwide from dying of hunger. The campaign raised more than Dhs2.822 billion, with contributions from 44,208 individuals, companies and humanitarian organisations.

The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation also opened the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Institute for Vocational Education in Senegal, with a capacity of approximately 1,000 students. The institute aims to equip young people with vocational and technical skills and enhance their employment prospects, reflecting a shift in charitable efforts from providing direct assistance towards empowering beneficiaries with the tools needed to become self-reliant.

Educational projects implemented this year have included the establishment of dozens of classrooms and schools in several countries, while charitable organisations have launched campaigns to support children's education in the UAE and abroad.

In the healthcare sector, Sheikh Mohammed announced the launch of an initiative to support efforts to eradicate river blindness, targeting seven million direct beneficiaries and 35.4 million indirect beneficiaries over three years. The initiative represents another model of charitable and humanitarian action that moves beyond addressing the consequences of disease towards helping curb its spread and improving the lives of millions over the long term.

The International Charity Organisation also launched its "Their Health is a Trust” campaign for 2026, comprising projects worth more than Dhs6 million. These include providing treatment for 200 cases in the UAE and abroad, establishing healthcare centres in disadvantaged areas and supplying medical equipment. Assistance has also extended to supporting hospitals and healthcare facilities in affected areas, including equipping paediatric, women's health, neonatal and intensive care departments.

The UAE's charitable model is further reinforced by water and infrastructure projects around the world, including the drilling of thousands of wells and provision of water pumps, alongside water desalination and solar energy projects. These initiatives address essential daily needs while reducing communities' dependence on emergency assistance.

Alongside these development projects, emergency humanitarian response remains a central pillar of the UAE's charitable efforts, particularly during crises. The UAE continues its relief operations for the Gaza Strip under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, provides various forms of humanitarian support to the Sudanese people, and responds swiftly to those affected by natural disasters around the world.

Sustainability in charitable work also extends to its financing mechanisms. The launch of the Mother of the Nation Endowment for Orphans initiative created a sustainable funding source to care for orphans, improve their quality of life and strengthen social cohesion. The initiative raised Dhs3.3 billion during Ramadan, providing a model for transforming donations from time-bound assistance into a sustainable asset that continues to deliver an impact for years.

Charitable work indicators for this year demonstrate the expanding scale and diversity of these efforts. The value of projects implemented by the International Charity Organisation inside and outside the UAE exceeded Dhs353 million in the first half of the year, an increase of 15 percent compared with the same period last year. During the same period, Sharjah Charity International implemented 11,051 humanitarian and development projects and campaigns abroad, worth Dhs139.8 million.

For its part, the Emirates Red Crescent implemented Ramadan programmes benefiting more than 1.5 million people in the UAE and 44 countries around the world in 2026. Its initiatives also included projects supporting disadvantaged villages, providing essential services, and implementing health and social programmes in several countries.

These results form part of the UAE's longstanding record of charitable and humanitarian work. The Zayed for Good Foundation has provided humanitarian assistance exceeding AED2 billion, with its programmes reaching more than 180 countries, while the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charitable Establishment spent Dhs192.6 million in 2025 on projects across 26 countries, covering healthcare, education and social welfare.

The initiatives undertaken this year embody the UAE's model of charitable work, which combines rapid response, broad reach, sustainable impact and human empowerment.

WAM