Arab Giving Forum held in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Do not wait for a disaster to strike before you reach into your pockets, participants and businesses were told during the second-day of the Arab Giving Forum being held in the capital.

"There is never a wrong time and right time to give. Giving is a part of our culture and ought to be a part of our daily life," Talib Al Khafaji, a psychiatric medicine consultant who has worked for several relief agencies in dealing with traumatic events, told attendants.

The Arab Corporate Social Responsibility conference is the first of its kind in the capital and its aim is to encourage businesses, which thrive in the UAE, to give to aid agencies.

The conference was an opportunity for businesses and aid agencies to exchange ideas on how to motivate businesses to see the benefits of giving. "To make giving a more regular habit, establish a trust fund in your company where people can see where their money is going towards a specific project. It helps to have a clear vision," Al Khafaji said.

The openness of UAE culture and its proximity to Asia and Africa makes it an ideal country for aid agencies to establish their offices here. Yet despite this, aid agencies often complain about the lack of money they receive from the public and businesses.

According to Omer Mustafa, with Arab Medical Physicial Association aid agency, the reason why few people give is due to a lack of creativity.

"We need to be more creative in how we ask people to join our endeavour. They have to see our vision before they can participate in our cause," Mustafa said.

AMPA is one of the few Arab aid agencies that conduct medical operations throughout the Arab world.