Category: General

DUBAI: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, announced that the Mothers’ Endowment campaign, which he launched on 4th March 2024 to honour mothers by establishing an AED1 billion endowment fund that aims to support the education and training of millions of individuals around the world, has successfully exceeded its target within less than a month of its launch. He affirmed that the campaign will continue to welcome contributions throughout the year.

Contributions to the Mothers’ Endowment campaign amounted to AED1.484 billion before the end of Ramadan.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said, ‘As the blessed month of Ramadan draws to a close, we are excited to conclude a campaign that attracted hundreds of thousands of participants to honour mothers. The Mothers’ Endowment which raised over AED1.4 billion during Ramadan is a permanent education fund and an ongoing charity in the name of UAE mothers, may God bless our efforts.

“Our mothers will rema
in our paradise, and our ticket to paradise. Nothing repays our debt to them, so we will continue to celebrate them. May God protect all mothers, and may God protect the UAE.’

‘The Mothers’ Endowment campaign’s success in exceeding its target in record time is a testament that generosity is testament to the benevolent, generous nature of the UAE people and to their deeply rooted principles. The Emirati community has presented a bright example of giving and solidarity that are integral to the UAE’s value system and identity,’ he added.

‘The UAE will not waver in its mission to serve humanity and help communities rise up and improve through projects and campaigns that go far beyond temporary aid and focus instead on sustainable and constructive empowerment.

‘Any initiative that has the mother and her selflessness at its core is a blessed initiative that will reap doubled rewards. The Mothers’ Endowment is an ongoing charity in honour of our mothers, and it will continue to welcome contributions to ensure gre
ater benefits,’ Sheikh Mohammed said, in conclusion.

Community-wide response

The Mothers’ Endowment campaign has received a community-wide response as thousands raced to contribute to its aims of supporting underprivileged individuals through enhanced education and training, allowing them to improve their quality of life sustainably, prepare for the job market and ultimately drive stability and development in their communities.

Coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan, the campaign exceeded its targets within less than three weeks as contributions flowed in via its main channels, including the campaign’s website, dedicated call centre, bank transfers, du and etisalat by e and SMS, as well as via the DubaiNow app and the community contributions platform Jood.

A noble mission

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), said, ‘Reflecting the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, providing the best conditions for sustainable ed
ucation will always be at the forefront of our priorities, in line with his directives for fulfilling this noble mission and mobilizing efforts to advance education as the decisive factor in building communities that are more stable and prosperous.’

‘The Mothers’ Endowment campaign is a driving force that aims to support and prepare millions of youth across underserved communities through education and training that will leave its mark in their lives. The campaign has received generous contributions and announced key agreements with major contributors to launch innovative endowment projects,’ he added, expressing his confidence that, thanks to the community-wide support it enjoyed, the campaign will achieve its targets and will further cement the UAE’s humanitarian role.

Major contributors

Among major contributors to the campaign, Azizi Developments announced a contribution of AED600 million for the establishment of an endowment education complex, marking one of the largest charity contributions in the UAE
. Sobha Realty Group also contributed AED400 million to establish an endowment university as part of the Mothers’ Endowment campaign, while West Zone Group contributed AED130 million to develop an endowment building that will dedicate its proceeds to supporting MBRGI’s initiatives relating to spreading knowledge and education around the world.

Most Noble Number charity auctions

A number of accompanying events helped support the Mothers’ Endowment campaign reach its target in record time, including the Most Noble Number charity auctions held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, raising a total of AED116,479,400 with support from Abu Dhabi Police, Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA), etisalat by e and and du.

The Most Noble Number charity auction in Dubai raised AED38.095 million from auction RTA plate numbers, etisalat by e and and du special mobile numbers. The 3rd Most Noble Number online charity auction, organized by Abu Dhabi Police, raised AED78,384,400 from auctioning 555 special plate numbers.

Innovative in
itiative

The campaign was also accompanied by an innovative initiative to recognize major contributors, who were celebrated by the Dubai International Financial Centre by displaying their contributions on the façade of its main building, The Gate.

230,000 participation certificates

The Mothers’ Endowment campaign issued more than 230,000 participation certificates through its website, in the names of contributors’ mothers as a gesture of appreciation for their sacrifices and generosity towards their children. The certificate marks the contribution made in the mother’s name as an ongoing charity contributing to the establishment of the education endowment fund.

Reviving the culture of endowments

With proceeds going towards the education of millions around the world, providing them with the tools and skills necessary to lead independent lives, the Mothers’ Endowment campaign aims to revive the culture of endowment as a development tool, while at the same time, promoting the values of honouring parents, kin
dness, compassion and solidarity.

Massive success

The campaign is launched under the umbrella of MBRGI, the largest humanitarian and aid organization of its kind in the region, and is an extension to the massive success of previous Ramadan campaigns launched under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Those include the ’10 Million Meals’ campaign launched in 2020 and recorded contributions of over 15.3 million meals, followed by the ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign in 2021, which doubled its target and distributed 220 million meals in 30 countries around the world. In 2022, the ‘1 Billion Meals’ campaign reached its target in under a month and provided food support across 50 countries, while last year’s ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’ campaign received community-wide support and raised AED1.075 billion by the end of Ramadan.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Saleh Kharabsheh, chaired a meeting on Tuesday where the Supreme Steering Committee for Rural Electrification approved lists comprising approximately 317 homes and sites to receive electricity through regular networks, totaling JD1.621 million in expenses.

Kharabsheh stated that the committee greenlit various projects and sites for electricity supply funded by the rural penny, including residential areas and economic activities.

Providing insights into the decisions, Hisham Momani, Director of the Electricity and Rural Electrification Directorate at the Ministry, explained that they cover hamlets of five houses beyond urban planning boundaries, with a total project cost amounting to JD384,000.

Additionally, decisions encompass hamlets of three houses beyond planning boundaries, at a minimum, costing JD196,000. Furthermore, individual homes beyond organizational borders benefiting from existing networks were included, totaling JD79,000.

Momani noted that the approv
ed list includes homes for needy families within regulatory boundaries of electricity companies’ concession areas, amounting to JD10,000, to support low-income families.

Furthermore, the list comprises projects such as poultry, cattle, sheep, and fish farms in impoverished areas beyond organizational boundaries, valued at JD12,000, reflecting the ministry’s commitment to backing farmers, fostering livestock production, and bolstering self-sufficiency.

Among the categories covered are lighting for roads leading to cemeteries, costing JD67,000, facilitating nighttime burials.

Momani highlighted that “Rural Electrification” supports productive, industrial, and investment projects in impoverished areas beyond organizational boundaries, provided they generate job opportunities for local residents. The contribution to such projects amounted to JD94,000.

He added that the initiative aided in enhancing transformer station capabilities established over the last decade to address current weaknesses and reduce elect
rical losses, with a financial outlay of JD53,000.

Moreover, it extended support to farms with artesian wells outside organizational boundaries, totaling JD48,000, in support of farmers, advancing the agricultural sector, and contributing to achieving food security.

He stated that “Rural Electrification” contributed to delivering electricity to sites affiliated with government sectors and sites included in the initiatives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, which the Royal Hashemite Court is establishing for needy families, at a total cost of JD57,000.

Regarding the exploitation of alternative energy sources, the committee approved in its lists the installation of solar cell systems connected to the grid for 621 homes of poor families and beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund to reduce their monthly energy bill, contributing indirectly to increasing the monthly financial income of this group and improving their economic level.

Source: Jordan News Agency

GAZA: On the 179th relentless Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, dozens of Palestinians Tuesday were killed and injured in Israeli aerial and artillery bombardment on various parts of the blockaded Strip.

In Rafah city in the southern Strip, Civil Defence crews pulled out six bodies and a number of casualties from the rubble of a house belonging to the Zurub family, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike. Among the fatalities were two children.

In the city of Khan Younes, several others were killed and wounded in Israeli bombardment targeting several houses in the eastern and central parts of the city.

In the city of Deir al-Balah, Israeli warplanes pounded al-Bashir Mosque, killing several people, including children, and causing damage to neighboring houses.

In the city of Gaza, Israeli missiles slammed into two houses in al-Zaytoun neighborhood and artillery shelling hit Tal al-Hawa and Sheikh Ijlin neighborhoods, killing three and injuring six others.

This brings the total death toll to 32,845
people, mostly children and women, and injuries to 75,392 since the onset of the Israeli aggression on the blockaded Gaza Strip on October 7 as thousands of others remain under the rubble and on streets.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich met with Lebanese American University leaders and a group of U.S. Government-sponsoredscholars, and toured the university’s Beirut campus on March 27, along with a delegation from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.

LAU President Michel E. Mawad welcomed the delegation on campus. He said, ‘As an American Institution of higher education in the Middle East, we at LAU are proud to work closely with the U.S. Government, specifically with the U.S.Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). We are particularly grateful to the American people and their generosity as they are supporting us in fostering scholastic activities, leadership and scholarship in this part of the world.’

Goldrich was glad to meet with LAU leaders and the students. ‘It was particularly helpful to understand and learn firsthand of the impact of the U.S. scholarships, and how their experiences
within the different programs have played out, especially as they are living through times of crises in Lebanon,’ he said.

The university currently hosts 391 Lebanese and Arabnationals who are recipients of the life-changing Higher Education Scholarships (HES) and the Tomorrow’s Leaders (TL) scholarships granted by USAID and U.S.-MEPI, respectively.

Some of those students were on hand for a roundtable discussion, namely HES recipients Sara El Turk and Mohamad Ballouz; TL undergraduate scholar Meriem Msilini; TL graduate student Nabila Arab; and TL gender scholar Sara Hamadneh. The session was moderated by LAU Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management Elise Salem.

The students shared how the programs offer them a lot more than just tuition coverage.

Goldrich was accompanied in his visit by USAID Mission Director Julie Southfield; USAID Education Officer Tim Curtain; MEPI Coordinator David Lewis; USAID Project Management Specialist Ahmad Al-Amine; Public Diplomacy Emerging Voices Spec
ialist Elie Ferneiny; and MEPI Program Grants Manager Maya Barhouche.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock on Tuesday called on Israel to conduct a quick and thorough investigation into the killing of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) employees in an Israeli strike in Gaza.

“Humanitarian workers must be able to carry out their important work in complete safety – around the world as well as in Gaza. Iincidents like this cannot be allowed to happen,” Berbock said in a post on her X account.

Source: Jordan News Agency