Abu Dhabi initiative raises Dh900m to assist patients with chronic diseases

Life Endowment campaign aims to deliver long-term support to people in need

The Life Endowment Campaign has raised Dh900 million in four weeks to help support health services. AFP

An Abu Dhabi health drive has been hailed as a major success after raising Dh900 million in a month to support patients with chronic illnesses, people with disabilities and senior citizens.

The Life Endowment Campaign, established by the Endowments and Minors Funds Authority (Awqaf Abu Dhabi), was launched on May 19 to help meet the treatment costs of patients as part of a wider vision to make the health sector more sustainable.

Organisers have praised the outpouring of support for the scheme, from both individuals and businesses, after more than 200,000 financial contributions were received.

The humanitarian initiative, held under the slogan With you for Life, was announced by President Sheikh Mohamed under the UAE's Year of Community.

Awqaf said it will continue to welcome donations to the flagship endowment campaign, which was established under the body's Healthcare Endowment initiative, launched in May, 2024 with the goal of raising Dh1 billion over five years.

Investing in the emirate's health

The funds raised are being used to create an endowment, which will serve to support treatment of patients and investment in services and medical supplies for years to come.

An endowment fund acts as a philanthropic investment portfolio, with donations to used to establish an initial pool of money with the aim that this will be invested to grow in value.

The Life Endowment will seek to maximise the returns of the endowment and direct them towards various healthcare programmes to improve quality of life of the public in the years ahead.

Awqaf has announced a number of supporting endowment projects. These include the Awqaf Abu Dhabi - Community Centre project valued at Dh50 million, and a DhD70 million real estate endowment project in partnership with Aldar Properties.

Key contributions to the campaign included a Dh172 million donation from Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation.

Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, approved the allocation of Dh100 million from Erth Zayed Philanthropies to the campaign.

This pledge was made under the directives of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.

“The Life Endowment campaign has provided a pioneering model for transforming endowments into an innovative financial tool that allows for the efficient investment of endowment assets to generate sustainable returns that support key sectors and enhance the quality of life," said Abdulhamid Mohammed Saeed, chairman of Awqaf.

"Exceeding its target by raising more than Dh900 million, the campaign demonstrates a growing public awareness of the endowment's power to drive positive social impact.

“The remarkable community engagement and generous contributions from individuals and organisations highlight the deeply ingrained culture of giving and social responsibility within the UAE.