Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the Fathers' Endowment campaign to provide health care for the poor and needy worldwide. @HHShkMohd / Twitter
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the Fathers' Endowment campaign to provide health care for the poor and needy worldwide. @HHShkMohd / Twitter
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the Fathers' Endowment campaign to provide health care for the poor and needy worldwide. @HHShkMohd / Twitter
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the Fathers' Endowment campaign to provide health care for the poor and needy worldwide. @HHShkMohd / Twitter

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid launches Dh1 billion fund to provide health care for the poor


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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has announced a Dh1 billion fund to provide "treatment and healthcare to the poor and needy".

The Fathers’ Endowment campaign has been created to honour fathers in the UAE and follows on the tradition of Sheikh Mohammed launching charitable projects to mark Ramadan, which is expected to begin next weekend, state news agency Wam reported.

“Dear brothers and sisters, as Ramadan approaches, we continue our tradition of humanitarian campaigns with the launch of the Fathers’ Endowment – a sustainable and ongoing charity honouring all fathers in the UAE," Sheikh Mohammed said.

“Fathers are our first role models, supporters, and teachers, guiding us with strength and wisdom. This endowment funds health care for the needy, embodying the spirit of Ramadan and the Year of Community. We invite everyone to contribute, strengthening family bonds and giving back."

The project reflects the UAE's deeply rooted culture of giving and reinforces Sheikh Mohammed's belief that the path of giving is an endless and invaluable one, Wam stated.

“This new endowment campaign, launched during the holy month of Ramadan, highlights the UAE's deeply ingrained culture of generosity and giving," said Mohammed Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives.

"This spirit of giving has been clearly demonstrated in past Ramadan campaigns, where individuals and institutions from both the public and private sectors actively participated in supporting charitable projects and humanitarian initiatives, striving to assist those most in need around the world.”

How it works

Donations can be made in fathers' names, Wam said, to support healthcare systems through hospital development and the provision of medicine and treatment.

Last year saw the launch of the Mothers' Endowment to mark Ramadan. The goal of that campaign was to raise at least Dh1 billion to support the education of millions of people around the world. It surpassed its goal, raising more than Dh1.4 billion.

It followed on from previous campaigns to mark Ramadan, including the 10 Million Meals campaign in 2020, which raised over 15.3 million meals; the 100 Million Meals campaign in 2021, which collected 220 million meals; the 1 Billion Meals in 2022, which achieved its goal in under a month; and the 1 Billion Meals Endowment in 2023, which raised Dh1.075 billion.

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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

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The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

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Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Types of policy

Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.

Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.

Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.

Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.

Updated: February 21, 2025, 1:58 PM