The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) 2016 Year in Review reflects the humanitarian and developmental achievements of the initiatives, projects and institutions that fall under the MBRGI umbrella. These results reflect the foundation’s mission to create hope for the future, and build a more stable world focused on human development.
The MBRGI initiatives are divided into five main pillars: humanitarian and relief aid; healthcare and disease control; spreading education and knowledge; innovation and entrepreneurship and empowering communities.
MBRGI’s total investment in 2016 was over AED 1.5 billion, of which AED 730 million was allocated to humanitarian and developmental initiatives and community programmes. AED 791 million was invested in building three sustainable monuments: the Al Jalila Research Centre, the Museum of the Future, and the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, which will be the largest knowledge building of its kind in the Arab World, and will be officially inaugurated in 2018.
Forty two million people in 62 countries around the world benefited from MBRGI’s initiatives and programmes that seek to alleviate the suffering of disadvantaged groups, help those in need, including sick patients and people with disabilities, and empower communities by providing tools to improve economic, social and various other aspects that enhance the quality of life in different communities. 
Humanitarian and relief aid initiatives recorded an expenditure of AED 252 million, while healthcare and disease control saw investments of AED 224 million. AED 590 million was dedicated to spreading education and knowledge; innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives amounted to AED 377 million and AED 79 million was spent on empowering communities. 
In recognition of the people, institutions and initiatives that promote the values of giving, working hard, knowledge, culture and humanity, MBRGI presented awards to the amount of AED 115 million.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives foundation was inaugurated on 4 October 2015. It embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to improve the Arab world through humanitarian, developmental and community work. 
Its programmes share a common drive to create hope in the Arab world and beyond. MBRGI supports more than 130 million people in 116 countries around the world, and encompasses 33 institutions and initiatives that operate more than 1,400 development programmes. The foundation works in collaboration with more than 280 strategic partners ranging from governmental institutions and private sector companies to regional and international organisations.
Humanitarian and Relief Aid
The humanitarian and relief aid pillar is one of MBRGI’s most important pillars, and is in line with the UAE’s mission to improve the lives of millions of people around the world, regardless of politics, religions, race, colour or any other discrimination. MBRGI institutions provide emergency and disaster relief, as well as humanitarian, developmental and community-based assistance to less fortunate communities living under conflict or facing various epidemics. 
Total expenditure on humanitarian and relief aid was AED 252 million in 2016, and benefited 22.6 million people around the world. 

The Mohammed bin Rashid Charity and Humanitarian Establishment invests in the fabric of society to help the poor, the sick, widows, orphans, the needy and distressed all around the world, as well as at home in the UAE. Its entrepreneurial programmes, for example, enable impoverished families to earn a living. The charity touched the lives of 1.1 million people in 2016, provided iftar for 11.5 million people fasting outside the UAE and invested AED 94 million in building schools, hospitals, homes, wells and other forms of relief in 20 war-ravaged countries around the world. UAE Water Aid, known in Arabic as Suqia, invested AED 3.6 million in wells and other charity initiatives in 2016, providing clean water to 10 million people.
The UAE Food Bank is one of the newest initiatives to join MBRGI. Launched earlier this year, the UAE Food Bank is the largest initiative of its kind in the region, collecting, storing and distributing surplus food to those in the need in the UAE and abroad. 
At 1,130,210 square feet, International Humanitarian City (IHC) is one of the world’s largest humanitarian cities, located within eight hours by air of two-thirds of the world’s population. As such, it contains AED 400 million of stock ready to be delivered to those who need it most.
In 2016, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid launched Dubai’s Awqaf and Endowment vision and strategy, which aspires to make the UAE the most dedicated country in the world to serving humanity. The Dubai Awqaf and Endowment vision and strategy is managed by the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Centre for Endowment Consultancy, which was launched in March 2016 with the goal of reviving Waqf as a development tool for the community. The centre developed an innovative model for any institution to provide endowments, regardless of its size and net worth. Institutions can link any type of assets, resources or services to the concept of innovative endowment. Within a year of its launch, the centre has assisted various entities launch a range of innovative endowments, with an estimated value of over AED 12 billion for knowledge and innovation, education, social services and more. 
Healthcare and Disease Control
Providing essential and life-transforming healthcare and disease control where it is most needed is a central pillar of MBRGI’s work.
In 2016, MBRGI provided a variety of health services through its entities and institutions, dedicated to providing specialized healthcare and infectious disease control, with AED 224 million allocated to health initiatives and programmes that benefited 10 million people around the world.
In 2016, Al Jalila Foundation provided 1.6 million vaccines to prevent against maternal and neonatal tetanus across 15 countries. The foundation also collaborated with the Mohammed bin Rashid Charity and Humanitarian Establishment to conduct several heart surgeries for children in the UAE and abroad.
On its end, Noor Dubai continued working to rid the world of the causes of blindness and visual disability. In 2016, Noor Dubai rescued the eyesight of over 6.6 million patients through treatment or surgery. The foundation also, through its mobile eye clinics, examined 15,603 patients, distributed 2,862 glasses and performed 1,794 surgeries in various countries. 
To support medical research and help find solutions, the Al Jalila Foundation Research Centre, the UAE’s first independent biomedical research centre, funded more than 55 local research studies and invested more than AED 16.3 million in medical research, study grants and fellowship programmes. 
Spreading Education and Knowledge
Initiatives to spread education and knowledge in 2016 saw an investment of AED 590 million, with this pillar accounting for the largest portion of total MBRGI 2016 expenditure, emphasizing MBRGI’s commitment to education, and benefiting 9.3 million people globally.
The year 2016 was a landmark year for education and literacy in the Arab world. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, pronounced it the ‘Year of Reading’, and introduced a strategy to consolidate the reading culture, inspire a generation of readers, and establish the UAE as a hub for knowledge. 
The Arab Reading Challenge (ARC) is arguably the most prominent reading development initiative in the Arab World. The competition aimed to encourage a million students, from the 1st to the 12th grades, collectively to read 50 million books. During 2016, motivated by taking part in ARC, more than 3.5 million students read more than 150 million books, helping to instil a life-long habit of reading in children across the region. In the 2016/17 academic year, the second round of the Arab Reading Challenge reached 7 million students who read over 200 million books.
In 2016, the Mohammed bin Rashid Library was launched at the total cost of AED 1 billion. The first phase of the library’s construction began during the first quarter of 2016. The library will be 1 million sq ft in total and be home to over 4.5 million printed, digital and audio books. 
In Ramadan 2016, MBRGI launched ‘Reading Nation’, a Ramadan fundraising campaign that raised AED 80 million to purchase and distribute 8 million books and to equip 3,000 libraries across the Arab and Muslim World.
MBRGI places importance on promoting and nurturing the Arabic language. In this regard, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Arabic Language Award ceremony was held, honouring 10 individuals for their contribution to the Arabic language in public life. Reading was also the core theme of the Knowledge Summit 2016, organised by Mohammed Bin Rashid Foundation (MBRF), whose mission is to establish Dubai and the UAE as the centre for knowledge and research. The summit is also the platform for the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Knowledge, which acknowledges the achievements of individuals, bodies and institutions in spreading knowledge.
Dubai Cares continued its effort to provide quality education to children in disadvantaged communities by introducing programmes that eliminate barriers to school attendance. This includes building and renovating schools, equipping classrooms with the necessary educational tools, improving the quality of water and sanitation in schools, as well as training teachers and developing curricula. In 2016, over 2.2 million beneficiaries joined the Dubai Cares education programme.
In parallel to its sustainable education programmes, Dubai Cares announced in 2016 its support for emergency education and relief around the world, with a total funding of AED 73.5 million. Dubai Cares also supported education programmes for thousands of young Syrian refugees in Lebanon and supported the education sector in the Gaza Strip in Palestine. 
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Investing in innovation, looking toward the future and supporting projects that promote entrepreneurship are key components of MBRGI’s initiatives; the total expenditure on innovation-related initiatives and entrepreneurship was AED 377 million in 2016.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development (Dubai SME) works to create a business-friendly environment for Dubai’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Since its launch in 2002, Dubai SME has stimulated growth and development in the sector by supporting 23,000 Emirati entrepreneurs, investing AED 282 million, and helping to launch 4,152 companies. Award incentives were also distributed, including the Young Entrepreneurs’ Award, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Awards, the, Drones For Good and UAE AI & Robotics for Good awards and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award.
The Museum Of The Future is set to become Dubai’s epicentre of innovation, and will contain laboratories specialising in research and development in the fields of health, education, smart cities, energy and transportation. The museum is an element of the Dubai Future Foundation, which also supports innovation through its Dubai Future Accelerators programme, bringing together tech pioneers with government entities in Dubai to accelerate the development of smart government. By 2016, Dubai Future Accelerators had built partnerships with 33 companies and institutions from nine countries across the world.
Empowering Communities
Empowering communities, promoting positive dialogue, developing media discourse and instilling hope in the region are an important and growing pillar of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. Total expenditure in these areas amounted to AED 79 million in initiatives, training programmes, forums and awards.
Within this framework, Arab Hope Makers was launched early 2017 to honour humanitarian and community programmes, projects and initiatives and celebrate those who seek to help others and make a positive difference in their communities and the lives of others. Within a month of its launch, the initiative received over 65,000 nominations from across the Arab World; the top five ‘Arab hope makers’ were honoured at a special ceremony which aimed to not only celebrate them but also grant the most inspirational story from among them an award of AED 1 million. In the event, Sheikh Mohammed announced he was extending the award to all five of the finalists.
The Middle East Exchange (MEE) is another aspect of MBRGI’s work in building a more positive narrative for the region. MEE is a platform for sharing new ideas, inspirations and innovations in the Middle East, aiming to stimulate and encourage frank, open and constructive debate around development issues in the region today. Working with leading newspapers across the Arab World, MEE presents a weekly digest of inspirations, solutions and novel approaches to regional issues and opportunities created by an international team of writers and contributors. Through 2016, MEE articles attracted 3.2 million readers per month.
MBRGI also launched the National Tolerance Programme, which is aligned with the UAE’s keenness to consolidate the values of tolerance, multiculturalism and acceptance, and reject discrimination, hatred and intolerance. MBRGI seeks to reach out across the Arab world, especially to young people, and spread a peaceful message through transparent and ethical media. 
The Arab Media Forum, established in 2001, has provided a platform for prominent experts from Arab media and their global counterparts. In 2016, the event attracted more than 40 speakers and provided the opportunity for partnerships with local, regional, national and international media organisations to connect and share best practices. Since its launch, the forum has attracted more than 30,000 participants.
Each year the Arab Journalism Awards are presented, awarding 17 winners in 2016 for their creativity and professionalism. The awards honour outstanding and distinguished journalists to boost their role in serving the community and being the voice of the Arab World. 
In its second round in 2016, the Arab Social Entrepreneurs Summit attracted a large number of candidates from over 21 countries, who shared their knowledge and experiences in social media. The Arab Social Media Influencers’ Summit was launched in 2015 to bring together experts and social pioneers from across the world to discuss the opportunities and challenges of supporting positive communication within and about the Arab World. The summit also includes the Arab Social Media Influencers Award, which awarded 40 people in 2016.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development aims to empower UAE nationals to become entrepreneurs and government leaders by providing them with knowledge, skills and expertise. In 2016, the centre organised various activities for the Young Leadership Programme, which seeks to develop leadership skills in the youth, including tours and field visits to various countries in order for members to learn best practices and build networks with numerous institutions. 
The Arab Strategy Forum is MBRGI’s primary platform to share ideas about the future of world. In 2016, Dubai hosted the ninth session of the Arab Strategy Forum, with the participation of numerous decision makers and political and economic experts, who discussed the state of the region and the world. 
The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, meanwhile, raises awareness and improves understanding of different cultures and religions amongst the multicultural population and the millions of tourists welcomed annually in the UAE.
In 2016, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards highlighted sporting talent, supporting disabled sportspeople, aiding research, strengthening the role of women in the field of sports and developing quality sports.
The 11th Dubai International Sports Conference in 2016, attended by world famous soccer players, referees, managers, agents, and even presidents, debated the issue of good governance in sports management.
Future Goals
On its launch in 2015, MBRGI set itself ten goals for 2025, in its overall vision to promote humanity in all fields and address the most pressing obstacles to development and creating the right environment for a prosperous future. 
Among these goals is supporting and empowering 2 million families, investing AED 500 million in innovative water solutions and AED 1.5 billion in initiatives to spread education and knowledge, encouraging students to read 500 million books, supporting 20 million students’ education and translating 25,000 educational resources to Arabic. Also, MBRGI seeks to invest AED 2 billion in research centres and hospitals in the region, and to treat 30 million people from blindness and eye-related issues. Other objectives include supporting and training 50,000 young entrepreneurs, investing AED 5.5 billion in innovation incubators, supporting 5,000 innovators and researchers, and supporting the establishment of companies to provide 500,000 job opportunities. Moreover, MBRGI seeks to dedicate awards worth AED 150 million to encourage creators, intellectuals and media professions, attracting one million participants, and to invest AED 600 million in spreading the value of tolerance. 
A look at MBRGI’s results and achievements for 2016, less than two years after its inception, indicates that MBRGI is not only on the way to meeting its objectives, but it is also on the way to surpassing them.