Dubai Philanthropic organisations in the Arab world should coordinate their charitable activities to establish an Arab philanthropy foundation, said His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday.
Speaking to participants of a philanthropic conference in Dubai, Shaikh Mohammad stressed the importance of cooperating in the field of philanthropy to create a 'united force' for Arab philanthropy.
"You work at an individual level and are unknown to all the people. Unifying and organising your work will give you increased financial and social power," he said.
The two-day conference entitled From Charity to Change was launched in Dubai yesterday with the attendance of Shaikh Mohammad, Queen Rania of Jordan and Prince Turki Bin Talal Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
Aimed at finding ways to institutionalise and coordinate philanthropic efforts in the region, the conference's theme was based on a study, funded by Boeing, and conducted by the American University of Cairo analysing trends and making recommendations.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Chairman of the Board of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, stressed that governments alone cannot take the responsibility for charity in the region, citing the importance of institutionalising philanthropy to encourage the private sector's contribution.
The private sector, he told journalists, "takes a lot but gives back very little".
"The private sector needs to know that its income comes from the people and it has to go back to them," he said in his speech.
"Illiteracy is still on the rise. Two weeks ago, a report from an Arab organisation indicated that nearly 200 million in the region continue to lack access to education. Concerted investment in education is imperative to transform our Arab societies into knowledge-driven economies."
A major objective of the conference, added Al Gergawi, was a "networking opportunity" for the various philanthropic organisations that operate in the Arab world, to have them cooperate and coordinate their activities.
- With inputs from WAM
