Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) is a philanthropic foundation based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). MBRGI was launched in 2015, consolidating some 33 philanthropic initiatives undertaken by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, over the past two and more decades.[1]

During 2017, the Foundation invested AED 1.8 billion[2] (US$ 490 million), benefiting 69 million people in 68 countries.[3] Its work has been supported by some 90,000 volunteers as well as the Foundation's 543 permanent staff.[4]

The entities under MBRGI work to a unified goal of providing humanitarian relief, charity and development, as well as spreading hope[5] through projects that enhance people’s lives, contribute to societal progress, and establish a more stable and advanced human future, especially in the Arab world.[6]

Recent initiatives undertaken by MBRGI include the 'One Million Arab Coders' project, which aims to extend free coding training to a million young people across the Arab world;[7] the Arab Reading Challenge which, in 2018 saw 10.5 million students from 44 countries each reading 50 books through the academic year[8] - an increase from 2016 when 7.4 million students 25 Arab countries participated[9] and the Arabic eLearning Challenge, which saw volunteers translate 5,000 maths and science online learning videos into Arabic.[10] That effort led to the launch of Madrasa,[11] a platform to make the content available to 50 million Arabic-speaking students globally.[12]

Five pillars

MBRGI defines its work under five pillars: humanitarian aid and relief; healthcare and disease control; spreading education and knowledge; innovation and entrepreneurship and empowering communities.[6][13]

Humanitarian aid and relief

The initiatives and organisations falling under the Humanitarian Aid & Relief pillar seek to provide urgent aid and relief to communities affected by crises and disasters. They offer aid and developmental support[14] for communities facing challenges such as poverty and conflict.

In 2017, total spending on humanitarian aid and relief initiatives, programmes and projects totalled AED 194 million, with some 11.4 million beneficiaries globally.[6]

Healthcare and disease control

MBRGI's work within the scope of this pillar aims to alleviate the suffering of communities lacking access to proper medical treatment, as well as dealing with basic health issues. It takes preventative measures against infectious diseases and contributes to the eradication of debilitating communicable diseases. Support is provided through awareness campaigns, treatment programmes, research funding and enabling medical staff and health workers.[19]

MBRGI's 2017 spending on the programmes and initiatives under healthcare & disease control doubled to AED 477 million, with some 7.9 million global beneficiaries.[6]

Spreading education and knowledge

MBRGI manages a number of initiatives and programmes that aim to combat ignorance and illiteracy, providing essential basic education in developing countries, while reinforcing the Arab region’s heritage as a centre of knowledge through cultural and enlightenment initiatives.[21] In 2017, the total expenditure on initiatives, programmes and projects dedicated to spreading education and knowledge amounted to AED 634 million and reached some 50 million people, an increase from 9.3 million beneficiaries in 2016.[6]

Innovation and entrepreneurship

In 2017, MBRGI invested some AED 396 million in promoting new enterprises and sustainable innovation benefiting some 4,700 individuals.[6]

  • The Dubai Future Foundation[27] (Formerly Dubai Museum of the Future)
  • The Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development (Dubai SME)[28]
  • The Mohammed Bin Rashid Award for Young Business Leaders[29]
  • The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award[30]

Empowering communities

With a 2017 investment in programmes promoting AED 129 million, these initiatives and programmes aim to unite communities under the theme of peaceful, cultural and intellectual exchange between nations,[31] and facilitate constructive dialogue between societies.[32] Reaching some 66,000 people with a number of forums and conferences that discussed intellectual, geopolitical and economical issues, as well as awards honouring people who have personified the spirit of giving, creativity and sporting excellence, MBRGI also focused on celebrating those who had made positive contributions to their communities.[6]

New initiatives

Three new initiatives were launched under MBRGI during 2017: the International Institute for Tolerance, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Arabic E-learning Project[19] and One Million Arab Coders.[7]

The Institute, the first of its kind in the Arab world,[44] aims to instill a spirit of tolerance in society,[45] building social cohesion and promoting the UAE as a role model for tolerance, working to combat extremism, and all forms of discrimination among people, including but not limited to, discrimination based on religion, gender, race, colour or language.[34] On 25 January 2020, The International Institute for Tolerance today announced the names of the jury panel that will pick the winners of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Tolerance Award.[46]

MBRGI also launched the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Arabic eLearning Challenge in September 2017,[10] which seeks to educate future generations of Arab researchers, scientists and innovators, by providing an online advanced learning platform. The project included the Translation Challenge as its first initiative contributing to its vision of improving education in the Arab world. The Translation Challenge involves the translation and localisation of thousands of educational videos on the subjects of science and maths, making them accessible online for free to millions of Arab students.[26]

The One Million Arab Coders initiative sets out to help young Arabs become fluent in coding and programming, offering free training as well as providing students and tutors with incentives worth over $1 million.[7]

Board of trustees

MBRGI's board of trustees is chaired by Sheikh Mohammed, with Crown Prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum as its Vice Chair. Its Secretary General is UAE Minister for Cabinet Affairs and the Future, Mohammad Al Gergawi.

References
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