H.H. Sheikh Mohammed unveils AED 1 million initiative to celebrate philanthropists

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has launched the 4th edition of Arab Hope Makers.

It's the largest initiative of its kind in the region, which honours individuals and institutions who drive positive change in communities without seeking personal gains or recognition.

Potential Hope Makers can nominate themselves or be nominated by others who find them worthy of the AED 1 million award.

"When talk of conflict, desperation and negativity prevails across the region, we talk about hope, charity and positive change in our communities. There are thousands of hope makers in every city and village; all we need to do is shed a light on them," said Sheikh Mohammed.

Nominees will go through several stages of evaluation before the final round and the announcement of the winners in Dubai.

The programme, organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, welcomes applications online, aiming to collect tens of thousands of stories of hope in the Arab world, highlighting their heroes and celebrating their efforts.

Since its launch in 2017, the Hope Makers initiative has attracted 244,000 nominations.

Rigorous Criteria

The Hope Makers initiative adopts rigorous criteria for the acceptance and qualification of nominees, including the requirement that nominated initiatives are original and innovative.

Nominees should also contribute to improving the lives of concerned populations, make a positive difference in the targeted community, help a marginalised group of people or alleviate the suffering of those in need. The initiatives should be sustainable, scalable, impactful and measurable.

Hope Makers considered for the title should be known in their communities for their humanitarian and social activism and must dedicate their resources to their initiatives voluntarily and without expecting any material gains.

الأمل عنوان القوة، ومحرك التغيير، وسر التجدد .. الأمل هو استبشار بالقادم، واستمرار للعطاء واقتناص للفرص ومصدر لا ينضب لخير البشر .

ما زلنا نبحث عن #صناع_الأمل وفاعلي الخير لنكرمهم ونبرز نماذجهم ونستبشر بهم في مجتمعاتنا ..

عندما يتحدث الناس عن الصراعات واليأس والتشاؤم والسلبية… pic.twitter.com/2rsNwjVSmM

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) June 12, 2023