UAE is world’s biggest aid donor

ABU DHABI -- His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has said that the UAE’s renewed position as the most generous aid donor in the world reflected the nation’s founding principles of unconditional support for those in need.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid was commenting on a new report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee, which ranked the UAE number one globally for development aid as a share of its economy, for a second consecutive year.

A press statement issued by the UAE Ministry of International and Cooperation Development, MICAD, said that the UAE gave AED18 billion (US$4.89 billion) in 2014, equivalent to 1.17% of gross national income.

The statement quoted H.H. Sheikh Mohammed paying tribute to the generous spirit of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. "This confirms the UAE's commitment to its global development mission and to the principles on which this nation was founded. We will continue to reinforce our position as a global hub for humanitarian relief for all those in need of our help," H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid pointed out that besides its strong levels of official development aid, the UAE is also home to numerous humanitarian and charitable institutions and host to a global humanitarian city. He emphasised that the UAE does not offer assistance conditionally, and cares only to promote welfare and stability for all people.

"The UAE was founded on the principle of doing good. Its leaders have always been passionate about helping people. We expect nothing in return for we are driven and guided by the principles of Islam and our Emirati national values," H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, issued a statement on the occasion of the naming of the U.A.E. as the biggest foreign aid provider in the world relative to its gross domestic income.

H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said, "The people and leadership of the U.A.E. are faithfully following the footsteps of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the nation, who served as a living example of giving and a role model for universal fraternity." Sheikh Mohamed added that His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the U.A.E., has ensured that these values live on.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed stressed that the U.A.E. is adding yet another achievement to its long record of giving by leading the world for the second year in a row as the largest foreign aid provider relative to its GDP. He said that this historic achievement marks the birth of a new map of donor nations and brings new meanings to human kindness.

"The announcement of the UAE as the world’s largest donor country of official development assistance for two years in a row testifies to the determination and sound vision of our wise leadership, as represented by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, towards joining in international efforts for development, supporting humanitarian response to crises and disasters and committing to humanitarian advocacy efforts to help create a better, decent life for humanity", Sheikh Mohamed added.

His Highness said that the UAE is a major influential partner in development programmes around the world through the provision of all support channels, and has contributed to humanitarian and development works in developing countries and communities.

H.H. Sheikh Mohamed reaffirmed that the UAE has made several achievements in humanitarian and charitable works, and contributed, both alone and alongside UN authorities and organisations, to relieving and reassuring our fellow humans who are hit by crises and disasters, affected by severe poverty or destitution and the threat of famines, and those displaced by wars and conflicts, and no less importantly to the victims of epidemic and contagious diseases, in addition to its strong presence in international forums and meetings.

"Today, we witness the positive outcomes of the UAE’s development projects and humanitarian support channels throughout the world’s regions and countries. Such projects and channels were built on the UAE’s humanitarian mission and ethical responsibility towards the needy and the disaster-stricken", His Highness said. He added that the UAE has contributed to supporting healthcare projects in developing countries and joined efforts to eradicate diseases and epidemics that threaten the lives of millions of people, particularly with regards to polio and malaria, in addition to the provision of much-needed vaccinations for children.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan stated that the high rankings the UAE has achieved in terms of humanitarian and charitable works are due "to Emiratis’ benevolent and compassionate nature, an integral part of our identity and human character."

H.H. Sheikh Mohamed further reaffirmed that the UAE will continue to play an active role in coordination with all international community organisations and countries that are actively engaged in international development and humanitarian works.

Finally, His Highness thanked organisations, entities and individuals who contributed to the UAE achieving this high position in humanitarian work among world countries.

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs commented on this achievement, affirming that the UAE’s attainment of this achievement of first position as the world’s largest donor of Official Development Aid/Gross National Income in 2014 for the second year consecutively, is evidence of the UAE’s leadership of international development action and its impact on forming the international development agenda.

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed added, "The humanitarian vision of the UAE’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which was followed by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, of initiating provision of aid to poor and developing countries and responding to the humanitarian crises, affirms that humanitarian giving is a precious path that requires ambitious visions and strong wills."

H.H. Sheikh Mansour also asserted that the UAE was "not hindered by its domestic development challenges away from its humanitarian leading role and active participation in various international development fields, still it has a leading role in the international community, and the directives of our wise leadership is the compass to all national humanitarian organisations and donors to provide the UAE development and humanitarian aid to target countries around the world."

Sheikh Mansour affirmed the importance of enhancing innovation in the Emirati development and humanitarian action, establishing innovative visions and programmes in numerous UAE donors to increase the UAE's aid provision and effectiveness, in order to maximise their impact.

Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development, MICAD, and Head of the UAE Committee for the Coordination of Humanitarian Foreign Aid, has extended her warmest felicitations to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, for their sound and wise directives of providing aid and support to the people and countries in need, which resulted in achieving for the UAE this high rank as the world’s largest donor country of Official Development Assistance, ODA, as a proportion of its Gross National Income, GNI, for the second year consecutively.

Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi also valued the ceaseless efforts of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, affirming that Sheikh Mansour's unlimited support to the UAE Foreign Aid Sector has contributed in raising the aid sector, which was reflected by the UAE assuming this honourable position.

Sheikha Lubna also extended her congratulations to the Emirati people, saying, "No doubt, today we are proud to live on the good soil of the UAE, affirming that the directives of our wise leadership has become a road-map and an approach for all UAE humanitarian and development donor organisations."

The Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, DAC/OECD, announced earlier today, Wednesday, 8th April, 2015, that the initial data of the Official Development Assistance, ODA, donor countries for 2014, indicated that the United Arab Emirates has achieved the First Position as the world’s largest donor of Official Development Assistance as a proportion of the Gross National Income, for the second year consecutively, saying that the UAE's Official Development Assistance in 2014 amounted to AED18 billion (US$ 4.89 billion), which equates to 1.17% of the UAE’s Gross National Income.

In its statement, the Development Assistance Committee added that what the United Arab Emirates provided in 2014 is considered the largest percentage of the Official Development Assistance a donor country has provided in proportion to its Gross National Income.

The DAC committee also mentioned that the data is considered an initial analysis, and another statement will be released after receiving the detailed data of the Official Development Assistance from the DAC member states, expected to be in December of this year.

According to the initial data that was released today, Sweden is in the second position, presenting 1.10% ODA/GNI, followed by Luxembourg in third position with 1.07%, then Norway in fourth position with 0.99%, Denmark in fifth position with 0.85%, the UK in sixth position with 0.71%, then finally Netherlands in seventh position, with 0.64%. –END-