UAE launches body to 'empower volunteering, promote goodness'

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice-President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has unveiled a body that will streamline volunteering activities in the UAE and promote "kindness and giving" in the community.

The Volunteering and Community Engagement Ecosystem was launched during a meeting at Qasr Al Watan.

The key targets over the next five years will see an expansion of the volunteer base to 600,000 members, creation of 10,000 new jobs within the sector and doubling the contribution of the nonprofit sector to the GDP.

It will also look into increasing the number of licensed nonprofit organisations by 30 per cent and position the UAE among the top 3 countries globally in the World Giving Index.

أطلقنا في قصر الوطن منظومة الإمارات للتطوع والمشاركة المجتمعية .. والتي تتضمن استراتيجية شاملة للتطوع الوطني لتصل قاعدة المتطوعين 600 ألف متطوع … وإطلاق منصة متكاملة لهم .. ودعم القطاع الثالث ومؤسسات النفع العام لتزيد 30% خلال الفترة المقبلة عبر بوابة موحدة لخدماتهم وإجراءاتهم… pic.twitter.com/uFhVjccKrV

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) October 29, 2025

"Our goal is to empower volunteering, enhance community participation, institutionalise and promote goodness in our country, and convey a message to everyone that the Emirates is a nation of economy and growth, as well as a nation of kindness and giving," Sheikh Mohammed highlighted. "It builds with one hand and gives with the other, raising structures and uplifting humanity."

Sheikh Mohammed thanked the team, led by Dhiab bin Mohammed bin Zayed, behind the brainchild.

"Our future in this country is brighter because it soars with two wings: the wing of economy and cooperation, and the wing of giving and solidarity.
May God grant everyone success in serving the nation and its people," he added.

The new body also outlines four initiatives to promote the culture of volunteering, namely National Volunteering Strategy, Volunteers.ae 2.0 Platform, "7 Over 7" Emirates Campaign and "Your Time Counts" Federal Government Employee Volunteering Initiative.

Another four initiatives were also unveiled, aimed at empowering the sector. This will include a AED 100 million Empowerment Fund, a "One-Stop-Shop" Platform, Nonprofit Sector Launchpad and a Plug-in for Leadership Programmes.