Nine years ago, on October 4, 2015, the Ruler of Dubai initiated the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) with the aim of combating poverty and diseases, promoting knowledge and culture, empowering communities, and fostering innovation.
"The Arab region is facing significant challenges. We will not abandon our region; instead, we will offer our support and bring hope to our youth," stated Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE's Vice-President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, on that momentous day.
MBRGI was established to positively impact over 130 million people in the Arab region by addressing fundamental human needs—healthcare, literacy, and poverty reduction; knowledge dissemination, cultural promotion, and educational development. It also aimed to cultivate a new generation of young Arab leaders for effective governance and innovation.
As reported by Khaleej Times, Sheikh Mohammed emphasized: "The world today confronts immense challenges on all fronts: terrorism, wars, and mass migration. The only solution lies in human development, achieved through education and helping people build their future."
"Through all our efforts and initiatives, we seek only God's approval. Our true worth is measured by what we contribute to life, and our true happiness is found in what we offer to make people happy. God has bestowed the UAE with many blessings, and we express our gratitude through such acts," Sheikh Mohammed noted.
The annual operating budget for MBRGI was initially set at over Dh1 billion, focusing primarily on the Arab region while collaborating with 116 countries. Sheikh Mohammed explained: "Humanitarian and developmental work has evolved, and today's challenges necessitate substantial global foundations to drive genuine social change. The vast challenges our region faces require a foundation capable of addressing these challenges on a similar scale."
MBRGI's primary objectives included fighting poverty, disseminating knowledge, empowering communities, and innovating for the future. Initial targets included supporting and educating 20 million children, preventing and treating 30 million people from blindness and eye diseases by 2025, and investing Dh2 billion to establish medical research centers and hospitals in the region.
Additionally, the goal was to empower over two million families to achieve self-sufficiency within a decade. MBRGI was also established to support young entrepreneurs.
Through the years, MBRGI has successfully managed several initiatives and humanitarian programs. In Ramadan 2020, MBRGI launched the '10 Million Meals' campaign, followed by the '100 Million Meals' campaign in 2021, and the '1 Billion Meals' campaign in 2022, each extending aid to numerous countries worldwide.
In Ramadan 2023, MBRGI initiated the '1 Billion Meals Endowment' to establish the largest sustainable food aid endowment fund. Earlier this year, Sheikh Mohammed launched MBRGI's latest humanitarian campaign, the 'Mother's Endowment,' aimed at raising a Dh1 billion endowment fund to support the education of millions globally.
