Hope is a key word in the dictionary of any individual or society. There is no greater power than hope to transform societies. Hope Makers are the makers of the future. No purpose is served in life if one’s heart is not filled with hope.

UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum had launched the Arab Hope Makers initiative keeping the power of hope and optimism in mind.

People and institutions that pursue a humanitarian goal deserve support and recognition and that’s precisely what the initiative aims at.

The idea is to honour the people that launch humanitarian initiatives, projects and programmes that improve their communities, the quality of life in their environments and help those in need.

The five Arab Hope Makers finalists who were awarded Dhs1 million each by Sheikh Mohammed on Thursday well deserve the honour for their stupendous contributions.

The crowning of Ahmed Al Falasi, from the UAE, as the Arab Hope Maker 2020 was based on his outstanding humanitarian work in establishing advanced kidney dialysis centres and incubators in Kenya’s Mombasa.

It should be noted that Al Falasi was selected from an overwhelming 92,000 participations from 38 countries in the third edition of the Arab Hope Makers.

There was visible flow of benevolence at the event.

Besides the show proceeds, 10 entities and entrepreneurs collectively contributed Dhs44 million to supporting the construction of Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Center in Egypt that, once complete, will conduct over 10,000 free-of-charge heart surgeries annually, 70 per cent to children from all over the Arab world.

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, also announced a Dhs44 million match to the contributions raised during the event, bringing the total amount to Dhs88 million that the Arab Hope Makers initiative will dedicate to support the cause.

Also, during the event, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, MBRGI, announced the Egyptian actor and comedian Ahmed Helmy as the “Ambassador of Hope.” The artiste surprised the audience by donating one million Egyptian pounds (Dhs230,000) to the cause.

The fact that the third edition of the Arab Hope Makers attracted a whopping 92,000 entries across the world, compared to 87,000 in 2018 and 65,000 in its first edition in 2017 highlights the huge popularity and strength of the project.

Candidates go through several qualifying stages before being shortlisted to 20 semi-finalists. Based on an extensive evaluation of the impact and outreach of projects, the main committee selects five finalists whose inspiring stories are shared before thousands of people in a final grand ceremony in Dubai before crowning the winner.

As Sheikh Mohammed well pointed out, “Hope Makers are the real champions of giving and inspirational examples of leaders taking the initiative to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. Through working for their communities, Hope Makers lead a positive societal movement that supports development and restores faith in the future of the Arab world. We followed tens of thousands of inspiring stories of the Arab Hope Makers who, with their positivity and optimism, emerged as beacons of hope in their communities.”

The Arab Hope Makers project mission is to restore hope in the region and consolidate the values of positivity while combatting despair and negativity. Going by the tremendous response, one can say without doubt that it has been hugely successful in achieving its goal.