UAE Ramadan initiative raises more than US$1billion
The Fathers’ Endowment will pay for healthcare for people in disadvantaged communities
Sunday, 06 April 2025
More than 275,000 people contributed to the Fathers’ Endowment fund, launched at the start of Ramadan by the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE.
In just four weeks, the initiative, launched in honour of UAE fathers, raised Dhs 3.72bn (US$1.01bn) thanks to generous donations from philanthropists, companies, and individuals. This money will be held in Endowment to provide a sustainable source of funding to pay for healthcare, hospitals, and medicines for under-served communities.
The Ruler of Dubai said he was delighted by this overwhelming community support for the campaign and added: “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.”
The largest single donation to the campaign was Dhs 3bn, which came from UAE-based Aghan property developer Mirwais Azizi, the founder and chairman of Azizi Developments, in memory of his late daughter, Farishta, who died from cancer in 2024.
This was the largest individual private sector contribution in UAE history, and it will be used to fund a humanitarian medical complex in Dubai, comprising a hospital, research center, and medical training facility.
Other notable donations to the Endowment campaign came from: Education entrepreneur and philanthropist Sunny Varkey (Dhs 10m); Imtiaz Developments (Dhs 50m); Peace Homes Development (Dhs 50m); SAMANA Developers (Dhs 40m); and Buimerc Corporation Ltd. (Dhs 20m).
The Fathers’ Endowment campagin was launched for Ramadan 2025 under the umbrella of Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) but will continue to take donations beyond the end of the holy month.
MBRGI has run a number of big ticket Ramadan initiatives in the past five years. These include three food-related campaigns (10 Million Meals, 100 Million Meals, and 1 Billion Meals) and last year’s Mothers’ Endowment fund to support education initiatives around the world.
