Dubai, UAE – In response to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation announced the resumption of food aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip, valued at AED 43 million. This initiative is being carried out in cooperation with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The convoys will include shipments of essential food items and relief parcels for the most vulnerable families. This will be implemented as soon as the border crossings reopen. It is part of the UAE’s ongoing support for the people of Gaza by land, sea, and air.
Supporting the people of Gaza
This move complements the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to supporting the people of Gaza. It began in January 2024 with a contribution of AED 43 million (US$11.7 million). This direct food assistance is expected to benefit one million people in partnership with the World Food Programme. It also builds upon a long history of initiatives. In 2023, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid directed the provision of AED 50 million in urgent aid to Palestinians through the Foundation. In September 2024, Dubai Humanitarian delivered an urgent relief shipment via the Egyptian port of El Arish. The shipment included 71.6 tons of essential medical supplies. Furthermore, in January 2024, the Foundation pledged approximately AED 37 million (US$10 million) to support the health sector in Gaza. This includes providing medical supplies, particularly for children.
Samer Abdel Jaber, the World Food Programme’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, said: “The partnership between the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation and the World Food Programme embodies both parties’ commitment to providing food assistance to those in need. It also seeks to alleviate the suffering of communities around the world. This is evident today in our joint efforts to support the people of Gaza and give them hope. This confirms the Foundation’s commitment to continue making a real difference in Gaza and strengthening its strategic partnership with the Programme.”
Extensive programs and contributions
The total expenditure of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives in 2024 exceeded AED 2.2 billion. This benefited approximately 149 million people in 118 countries across five key pillars: humanitarian aid and relief, healthcare and disease control, education and knowledge dissemination, innovation and leadership, and community empowerment. Within the humanitarian aid and relief pillar alone, expenditure surpassed AED 944 million in 2024. It reached more than 37 million people worldwide.
Dubai Humanitarian also contributed to the transport and distribution of 1,255 metric tons of aid and relief supplies last year, benefiting approximately 3.7 million people in several countries.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives were launched in 2015 as an umbrella organization encompassing more than 30 initiatives and institutions. These institutions operate across diverse humanitarian, developmental, and community sectors. They focus particularly on less fortunate countries and the most vulnerable groups. The organization aims to instill a culture of hope and address pressing humanitarian and developmental challenges. It also aims to improve education in marginalized communities, combat poverty and disease, and promote the values of tolerance and coexistence. Additionally, it invests in human capital, empowers talent, and builds knowledge-based capabilities. These are capable of leading development in their homelands.
