Post by : Bianca
Haleem
The United Arab Emirates will observe Zayed Humanitarian Day tomorrow, which falls on the 19th day of Ramadan, marking the anniversary of the passing of the UAE’s Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The day highlights the UAE’s strong commitment to the humanitarian legacy of Sheikh Zayed, who became a global symbol of generosity, compassion, and support for people in need. Under his leadership, the UAE developed into one of the world’s leading donors of humanitarian and development aid.
In 1971, Sheikh Zayed established the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development to support economic growth and development projects in countries around the world. Later, in 1992, he launched the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, now known as the Zayed for Good Foundation, to expand charitable work both inside the UAE and internationally.
These initiatives reflected Sheikh Zayed’s deep commitment to humanitarian work. Between 1971 and 2004, the UAE provided approximately AED 90.5 billion in humanitarian and development assistance to countries worldwide.
Sheikh Zayed’s global humanitarian efforts were widely recognised with several international awards. These included the Golden Document from the International Organisation of Foreigners in Geneva in 1985, the Man of the Year Medal in Paris in 1988, the Arab League’s Ribbon of Development and Environment Award in 1993, and the Golden Medal of Arab History from the Moroccan Historians Association in 1995.
Today, the UAE continues to follow Sheikh Zayed’s path of generosity through various humanitarian programmes. These initiatives focus on food aid, development projects, refugee support, community empowerment, and strengthening healthcare and education systems in developing countries.
This year’s Zayed Humanitarian Day also coincides with several major charity initiatives during the holy month of Ramadan. Among them is the “1 Billion Meals – 11.5 Campaign”, which aims to help save five million children worldwide from hunger.
At the same time, programmes organised by the Emirates Red Crescent are expected to support more than 1.5 million people within the UAE and across 44 countries during Ramadan.
The UAE is also continuing its humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. During the first meeting of the Peace Council in February, the UAE announced an additional US$1.2 billion in aid for Gaza.
According to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ Financial Tracking Service platform, the UAE ranked as the largest donor to Gaza throughout 2024, 2025, and the early weeks of 2026, providing around 50 percent of total international aid, with contributions exceeding US$4.2 billion.
The country is also supporting people affected by the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Recently, the UAE pledged US$500 million to address urgent humanitarian needs in Sudan.
This pledge adds to the UAE’s overall assistance to Sudan over the past decade, which has exceeded US$4.24 billion, including US$800 million in humanitarian aid provided since 2023.
Zayed Humanitarian Day continues to remind the world of Sheikh Zayed’s vision of compassion and global solidarity, a legacy that the UAE still carries forward through its humanitarian and development initiatives.
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