Arab Hope Makers are a timely antidote to growing global fatalism

This year's winners, Samar Nadeem, Ahmed Zainoun and Khadija Al Qarti, show off their awards at Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena on Sunday. Chris Whiteoak / The National

When confronted by global challenges such as climate change, war and poverty, it is understandable that people can become despondent. Many news headlines can lead to a sense that more people are working to harm, rather than improve, the state of the world. However, many individuals play their part in building a better world – last year’s World Giving Index found that 4.3 billion people gave time, money or helped a stranger in 2023 – despite that fact that the size and complexity of 21st-century problems remain daunting.

A recent study by Gallup, conducted across 52 countries, representing 76 per cent of the world’s adult population and 86 per cent of global gross domestic product, found hope to be the primary need of followers worldwide. According to the study, more than half (56 per cent) of all attributes linked to influential leaders pointed to hope.

Given this, public recognition of those who go the extra mile becomes even more important, particularly because such figures can inspire and motivate others. It is no different in the UAE, where philanthropy is an integral part of the country’s culture; the World Giving Index last year also ranked the Emirates as the ninth-most generous nation worldwide. Generosity, philanthropy and efforts to help others all feed into creating hope, especially in situations that may seem hopeless.

On Sunday evening in Dubai, the role philanthropy plays in the Emirates was again celebrated when Moroccan charity worker Ahmed Zainoun became the winner of the 2025 Arab Hope Makers award. Mr Zainoun cares for children who suffer from a rare disease that causes extreme damage when they are exposed to sunlight, effectively condemning them to live in the dark.

Established in 2017 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the award honours people in the Arab world who dedicate themselves to bettering the lives of others. Finding and identifying “hope makers” is in itself an effort to look for bright spots in the region and to champion those responsible for them. As well as helping the winners financially, it also provides them with a high-profile platform to highlight the issues so close to their hearts These causes can be a rare syndrome that affects a relatively small number of people, such the children cared for by Mr Zainoun, or more common problems.

This can be seen in the work of two other nominees whose work was honoured at Sunday’s award ceremony. Egypt’s Samar Nadeem offers shelter to neglected elderly mothers who have been condemned to a life on the streets after being abandoned by their families. Khadija Al Qarti, another Moroccan, opened her home to female cancer patients after losing her husband to the disease. Taking in 30 patients a day, Ms Al Qarti gives them food, drink and a place to sleep for free. In the past 15 years, she has helped about 60,000 women. The work of these two formidable women, as well as helping the individuals involved, also highlights societal issues around cancer and health care for women more broadly.

Exposure that highlights the winners’ capability and reputation boosts their credibility and puts them on stronger footing to seek more financial and logistical support

The power of Arab Hope Makers and awards like it lies in the attention that they can direct to such issues. Too many charities and individual humanitarians struggle to raise awareness and attract enough funding. Exposure that highlights the winners’ capability and reputation boosts their credibility and puts them on stronger footing to seek more financial and logistical support. Arab Hope Makers also presents a valuable networking opportunity, sharing skills and experience to better help those in need.

Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Secretary General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has described Arab Hope Makers as “a realistic call to combat despair and negativity by focusing on the positive within our Arab communities”. Celebrating those who put others first – day in, day out – is a vital tonic against fatalism.