Post by : Bianca
Haleem
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has announced a nationwide scheme to widen volunteering and bolster non-profit activity, aiming to generate 10,000 jobs across the UAE.
Named the Volunteering and Community Engagement Ecosystem and revealed at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, the plan is driven by the Ministry of Community Empowerment. The programme targets expanding the volunteer pool to 600,000 people, increasing the number of non-profit organisations by 30 per cent, and is supported by a Dh100 million ($27.2 million) allocation.
Sheikh Mohammed described the move as part of the UAE’s enduring tradition of generosity. “We want to make volunteering easier, deepen civic participation and make giving a defining feature of our national identity,” he said. “This country builds and gives in equal measure.”
The initiative, led by Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed, sets an ambition to move the UAE into the top three of the World Giving Index from its current ninth-place position and to double the social contribution delivered by non-profit organisations.
Building a culture of giving
The National Volunteering Strategy is central to the ecosystem, introducing new policies, frameworks and digital services to make volunteering more accessible and effective. A key component is Volunteers.ae 2.0, an upgraded online platform designed to match skilled volunteers with appropriate roles, streamlining how residents engage in service.
Complementary initiatives include the 7 Over 7 campaign to promote skill-based volunteering across all seven emirates and the Your Time Counts programme, which aims to integrate volunteer activity into federal employees’ performance assessments.
Together, these measures are intended to embed volunteering more deeply into Emirati life, ensuring community participation and charitable action remain central to the nation’s future development.
English
