How Dubai ruler’s £1 million donation helped save the 1985 Live Aid concert

Dubai: A £1 million donation by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, helped revive the 1985 Live Aid concert, which had been struggling to raise funds to combat famine in Ethiopia.

At the time of the broadcast, the concert had raised only around £10,000, and organisers feared the event would fall short of its goals.

According to British diplomatic correspondence, Sheikh Mohammed, who was watching the event from his majlis in London, pledged the donation, which was later confirmed through an official call from his office.

The announcement initially surprised the organisers, the records show.

The donation gave the campaign a much-needed boost, reigniting enthusiasm among donors worldwide.

Total contributions quickly rose to more than £150 million, making Live Aid one of the largest relief efforts in history.