Pakistan Association Dubai wins Gold at CDA’s Ethraa Awards

Dubai: Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) has been awarded Gold at the prestigious Ethraa Empowerment Program for Non-Profit Organisations, recognising its outstanding contributions to governance, service quality, and community impact.

The award was presented by Hessa Essa Buhumaid, Director General of the Community Development Authority (CDA), at a ceremony held in Dubai.

“This recognition is humbling and motivates us to continue striving for excellence. Our teams work round the clock to implement global best practices, ensure compliance with UAE laws, and continuously enhance our services. This award is not just for PAD, but for the entire Pakistani community in Dubai,” said Dr Faisel Ikram, President of PAD.

Ethraa Awards

The Ethraa Awards, part of CDA’s ‘Year of Community’ initiatives, celebrate non-profit organisations that demonstrate excellence across governance, sustainability, service delivery, and social impact. This year, CDA honoured 30 outstanding non-profit organisations. The ceremony celebrated organisations across three categories including Gold, Silver and Bronze with 13 organisations achieving Gold status, 10 receiving Silver, and seven awarded Bronze.

PAD’s Gold award places it among the 13 organisations recognised at the highest level for their rigorous standards and sustained contribution to society. The Ethraa program is structured around three pillars — Institutional Enablement, Human and Social Capital, and Sustainability & Performance Excellence — designed to strengthen non-profit capacity, improve service delivery, and drive sustainable social impact in line with Dubai’s Social Agenda 33.

Volunteer network

PAD has built a strong volunteer network across medical, educational, marketing, and administrative sectors, collectively contributing 100,000 hours of service annually. Its flagship facility, the Pakistan Medical Centre, has served over 161,000 patients from 126 nationalities across 37 specialities since opening in October 2020. With 75% of patients being deserving cases, PMC has provided Dh26.5 million in subsidised healthcare, operating entirely with volunteer specialists.

Zahid Hassan, General Secretary of PAD, said: “This is our third major quality recognition, following the Dubai Quality Award in 2020 and 2023. Every achievement reflects the tireless effort of our teams and our commitment to community service. We see this as a journey towards excellence, and we will continue improving to become a model institution.”

Expansion

PAD is now expanding its facilities with an 86,000 sq ft. complex, which will triple healthcare capacity and offer enhanced sports, educational, and recreational spaces. The expansion will be funded through the ‘Own a Brick’ campaign, inviting community members to contribute Dh1,000 per brick, combining charitable giving with ownership and membership of PAD. The campaign aims to raise 60,000 bricks, with strong community support already underway.