Who Can Win the AED1 Million Award at the Hope Makers Initiative?

The fourth edition of Arab Hope Makers was officially launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.

The Dh1 million prize, the largest initiative of this kind in the Arab world, honors those that commit their time and energy to bring about positive change in their communities without expecting personal reward or favorable reviews in return.

Potential Hope Makers may put themselves or others forward as candidates for the AED 1 million award.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed said, "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."

“Hope is strength. It is the driver of change and the secret to new beginnings. Hope is to go on giving and seize opportunities. The UAE continues to seek hope makers to highlight their efforts and honor their work," he further added.

Before the final round and the declaration of the winners in Dubai, nominees will undergo a number of phases of examination.

Applications are accepted online for the initiative, which is run by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. It aims to compile tens of thousands of stories of positive outlook from the Arab world while also recognizing and honoring its unsung heroes.

The Hope Makers project has strict standards for qualifying and accepting nominees, including the demand that submitted initiatives be unique and inventive.

Additionally, nominees should make a difference in the community they are targeting, assist a marginalized group of people, or lessen the suffering of those who are in need. The initiatives ought to be scalable, measurable, impactful, and sustainable.

The Hope Makers initiative has received 244,000 nominations since its launch in 2017.