UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum delivered a speech on inaugural annual report for the UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA) at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. The following is an edited translation.
Brothers and sisters,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.
I am pleased on this day to meet with you to deliver the first report on UAE foreign aid. I am also pleased to be part of this large assembly of 21 humanitarian and charitable bodies, who have donated more than Dh163 billion in aid since the establishment of our federation to combat poverty, hunger and disease around the world; furthermore, the UAE donated approximatelyDh9 billion in aid to more than 90 countries around the world last year.
Governmental, humanitarian, relief and community agencies have come together to achieve noble humanitarian objectives embodying our Islamic roots and values, which urge us to support the weak, teach young, feed the poor and hungry, help the needy, treat the patient, build hospitals and to establish cities and schools to disseminate a message of love amongst humans while spreading the message of giving to all throughout decades of unending work and philanthropy.
Brothers and sisters,
Gathering here on this occasion is very close to my heart and soul, as it allows us to connect with our noble humanistic values and their association with our heritage and religion; with great leaders who have taught us to give through deeds not words, through projects not speech.
When my bothers disseminated the results of the UAE foreign aid report, which show that the UAE is amongst the world's most benevolent countries, I was not surprised, because we in the UAE have a distinguished humanitarian history. Now I would like to talk about why we are one of the world's most charitable countries:
The first reason... Zayed... the initiative began with Zayed; our generosity owes its origins to Zayed.
Zayed needs no recognition from us... there are many witnesses who attest to his good works; the cities of Palestine, the hills of Pakistan, the plains of Morocco, the dams of Yemen, the villages of Bangladesh and other poor and needy countries.
The proof of Zayed's white hands are the thousands of orphans, children and patients who pray for him and study in his schools.
Zayed does not need our testimony, even the holy land in and around Jerusalem bears witness to his white hands. May his soul rest in peace, he who instilled us with love for good deeds and taught us the principles of giving; may the good deeds we undertake add to his virtues.
The second reason, brothers and sisters, why the UAE is amongst the world's most charitable nations is the presence of the pioneer of humanitarian works, my brother, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, whose white hands and heart of sensitivity are there for all to see. It is no wonder that the report says that more than half of UAE foreign aid in 2009 came from a single institution, the Abu Dhabi Development Fund. Under the directives of Sheikh Khalifa the fund donated Dh 5 billion in the past year, aside from the Khalifa Charity Foundation and other charities that have his support. I have nothing to say to Sheikh Khalifa but as a poet once said:
It is the sea, from which side you approach it
Its depth is grace and generosity is its shore
The third reason, my brothers... is you... the pioneers of humanitarian work in the UAE, whose fingerprints can be seen on charitable acts that know no borders; UAE philanthropists of whom we are proud. I would like here to make a special mention of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, may Allah protect her; the mother of the UAE and the mother of giving and the humanitarian Personality of the Year; Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and my brother Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA) and President of the UAE Red Crescent Authority. These are the heroes of giving... whenever they hear a call for relief they fly straight towards it no matter where it is. They have our thanks and sincere appreciation, and the reward of Allah, God willing.
We also have here in the UAE humanitarian organizations and philanthropists whom we will soon honour. We also have a multitude of other charitable people whom we may not know, but Allah remains aware of them.
Dear brothers and sisters,
We have grown to love goodness, courtesy and grace. We do not seek pride or bragging rights for doing good deeds; rather we are satisfied with God's acceptance and the prayers others, as this work is part of our duties as humanitarians.
Dear brothers and sisters,
So far the estimate of the total aid emanating from the UAE since its establishment in 1971 till now is more than Dh163 billion; this figure is not final, as my bothers are still working on the that. Total foreign aid from the UAE in 2009 was about Dh 9 billion - approximately one percent of our gross national income, thereby surpassing almost every country in the world in percentage terms.
I do not say these numbers out of pride and pretentiousness, as whoever does good, his recompense is with the Lord, but I want to convey an important message:
The UAE is not merely a financial or economic centre, nor is it only a tourist destination between East and West, but an important humanitarian centre on the international stage. UAE people are not living in a state of luxury disconnected from the world around us; we feel the pain and suffering of our fellow man around the world, and we make a positive and effective contribution to alleviate the suffering of others; we help the needy to combat poverty, hunger and disease around the globe.
We in the UAE give without hesitation; when countries around the world were affected by global financial crisis in 2009, and their charitable and humanitarian contributions reportedly tapered off, we in the UAE, we increased our assistance to those less fortunate than us. And we in the UAE give without limits - 95% of our assistance is in the form of non-refundable grants, so we do not burden less fortunate economies.
We also give unconditionally, as our aid has humanitarian objectives only, never governed by politics or limited by geography, race, color or religion of the beneficiary. We are humanitarian capital and a major relief station for the poor; we do not hesitate to help and support the brother, the ill-fated friend or the needy wherever they are. This is our message to the world, and this is the United Arab Emirates.
I ask God to keep the UAE strong, powerful and prosperous; to keep safe His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE, while continuing to shower blessings on our people; to help us all to do more good, to give more and to be more generous.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.
