H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Launches AED100M Project to Boost Non-Profit Sector in the UAE

  • Publish date: Wednesday، 29 October 2025 Reading time: 1 min read

New “Volunteering and Community Engagement Ecosystem” unveils AED 100 m empowerment fund to boost UAE’s third sector.

The UAE has launched a landmark initiative to boost its non-profit sector and volunteer engagement, anchored by a significant AED 100 million empowerment fund. 

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Unveiled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the new “Volunteering and Community Engagement Ecosystem” seeks to strengthen the country’s social capital by increasing the number of licensed non-profit organisations by 30 percent, expanding the volunteer base to 600,000 and establishing a unified digital services portal to streamline sector access. 

At the core of the strategy is the AED 100 million Non-Profit Empowerment Fund, designed to provide direct financial support to public-benefit organisations, incubate new non-profits via a “Launchpad” programme, and prepare a generation of leadership via dedicated capacity-building tracks. 

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In addition to the fund, the initiative introduces key digital infrastructure, including the upgraded Volunteers.ae 2.0 platform, a one-stop “One-Stop-Shop” portal for non-profit services, and campaigns like “7 Over 7” to encourage skill-based volunteering across the UAE’s seven emirates. 

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Sheikh Mohammed emphasised that the initiative not only supports the third sector’s growth but also reflects a national identity rooted in progress and generosity: “The UAE moves forward with two forces, economy and cooperation, and giving and solidarity.”

The project aligns with national goals to embed volunteering and non-profit work into everyday life, elevate the contribution of non-profits to the national GDP, and position the UAE among the world’s top countries in the World Giving Index.