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DUBAI / WAM
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced that the Fathers’ Endowment campaign has achieved unprecedented success and raised double its target in under a month, affirming that the campaign will go on and contributions will be welcome throughout the year.
The campaign, which His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid launched on 21st February 2025, aims to honour fathers in the UAE by establishing a sustainable endowment fund, with proceeds dedicated to providing treatment and healthcare to the less fortunate.
Contributions to the Fathers’ Endowment campaign amounted to AED 3.720.063.487 before the end of Ramadan, thanks to the support of over 277,000 contributors.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid remarked: “As Ramadan concludes in the Year of Community, our society has demonstrated remarkable cohesion and solidarity in its dedication to humanitarian causes, embodying the values of giving and generosity. The unprecedented success of the Fathers’ Endowment campaign, with broad participation from institutions, businesses, and individuals, underscores the unwavering commitment of the UAE, its leadership and people, to unity in doing good and inspiring hope for all.”
His Highness added: “In the spirit of Ramadan, our nation is united in love and generosity. As the Fathers’ Endowment campaign concludes, we are delighted by this overwhelming community support, in honour of fathers who remain the pillars of strength and stability for families and societies. May God protect all fathers.”
“The Fathers’ Endowment is a new success amplifying the UAE’s mission of championing solidarity in the face of humanitarian challenges, and adopting sustainability as the foundation of impactful philanthropy,” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed concluded.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid thanked all contributors to the campaign, emphasizing that these initiatives, among the largest of their kind addressing pressing humanitarian needs, solidify the UAE’s role as a primary supporter of human empowerment and societal development. This support, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed noted, is delivered through sustainable development programs focused on creating a demonstrably better future for all, marked by progress and prosperity.
The Fathers’ Endowment campaign saw enthusiastic community engagement and a surge of generosity aimed at honouring fathers and supporting disadvantaged communities through improved and sustainable healthcare. This support seeks to enhance the quality of life for all, fostering stability and driving development across various sectors.
Launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum during Ramadan, the campaign achieved unprecedented success in record time. Contributions poured in through various channels, including the initiative’s website, SMS messages (for du and e& UAE users), bank transfers, the campaign’s call centre, the “Dubai Now” app, and the “Jood” community contributions platform (Jood.ae).
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Secretary General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) affirmed that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision champions a new approach to charitable and humanitarian work. This vision prioritises sustainable humanitarian support and fosters a culture of giving where collective action drives positive change. It also focuses on supporting sectors that directly empower individuals, enhance their quality of life, and contribute to the stability and development of societies.
Al Gergawi stated that the Fathers’ Endowment campaign, reaching AED 3.72 billion in just one month during the Year of Giving, powerfully demonstrates the UAE’s deeply ingrained values of generosity, solidarity, and family unity.
Al Gergawi added that supporting healthcare remains a top priority for MBRGI, given its vital role in improving lives. Through its specialized programs, MBRGI strives to elevate healthcare standards for diverse groups in disadvantaged communities.
“Under its wise leadership, the UAE will continue to be a symbol of generosity and goodwill. The seeds sown by its founding fathers have blossomed into a bountiful tree, benefiting people both near and far,” He concluded.
This year’s Fathers’ Endowment campaign received huge support from major contributors, including Azizi Developments contribution of AED 3 billion.
This contribution, the largest individual private sector contribution in UAE history, will fund a humanitarian medical complex in Dubai, comprising a hospital, research center, and medical training facility, significantly enhancing the UAE’s healthcare sector. Built to the highest international standards, the complex, along with other endowment buildings in Dubai, will be funded by this generous contribution.
Education entrepreneur and philanthropist Sunny Varkey and his family announced a contribution of AED 100 million in support of the campaign and its aims
Additionally, endowment buildings will be developed by several real estate developers to support the goals of the campaign. These include Imtiaz Developments (AED 50 million), Peace Homes Development (AED 50 million), SAMANA Developers (AED 40 million) and Buimerc Corporation Ltd. (AED 20 million). Proceeds of these endowments will go towards supporting healthcare in underserved communities, including developing hospitals, providing essential medical equipment and medications, expanding capacity, and upgrading operating rooms. These investments will create sustainable opportunities to enhance the quality of life for those in need.
Key events supporting the Fathers’ Endowment campaign contributed to its record success. Those include the Most Noble Number charity auctions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which raised a total of AED 167,461,000.
The Most Noble Number auction in Dubai yielded AED 83,784,000 (AED 75.9 million for RTA vehicle plate numbers, AED 4.732 million for mobile numbers from e& UAE, and AED 3.045 million for mobile numbers from du).
The Most Noble Number online charity auction, organized by the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), which operates under the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi, raised another AED 83,784,000 from 444 special plate numbers.
Building upon previous Ramadan campaigns launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Fathers’ Endowment campaign aims to establish the culture of endowment as a development tool, while at the same time, it promotes the values of honouring parents, kindness, compassion and solidarity. It also reinforces the UAE’s leading humanitarian role.
The campaign is launched under the umbrella of MBRGI, the largest humanitarian and aid organization of its kind in the region, and is an extension to the massive success of previous Ramadan campaigns launched under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Those include the ’10 Million Meals’ campaign launched in 2020 and recording contributions of over 15.3 million meals, followed by the ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign in 2021, which doubled its target and distributed 220 million meals in 30 countries around the world. In 2022, the ‘1 Billion Meals’ campaign reached its target in under a month and provided food support across 50 countries, while the ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’ campaign in 2023 received community wide support and raised AED 1.075 billion by the end of Ramadan. Last year’s Mothers’ Endowment campaign, which aimed to honour mothers in the UAE by establishing a AED 1 billion endowment fund to support education around the world, reached its target before the end of Ramadan, raising over AED 1.4 billion.