Dubai: Social work has received a boost with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) declaring 2024 as the ‘Year of Volunteering’ for its staff.
GDRFA Dubai Director-General Lieutenant General Mohamed Ahmed Al Marri said the move reinforces social responsibility as a core strategic value of the Directorate. GDRFA staff will be actively involved in numerous volunteer activities, leveraging their skills and efforts to support community well-being.
The Social Responsibility Section within the Marketing and Government Communication Department at the Directorate plays a vital role in launching volunteering efforts. It coordinates the participation of GDRFA employees in diverse programmes initiated by partners.
GDRFA’s volunteer efforts extend to overseeing meetings and conferences, as well as participating in community and humanitarian projects like the Ramadan tent, Zayed Humanitarian Day, and International Workers’ Day celebrations. These activities also focus on supporting humanitarian needs among specific groups. Furthermore, GDRFA staff are “always ready” to respond to emergencies and disasters.
30,000 volunteer hours
From 2021 to the first half of 2024, GDRFA launched 65 volunteer initiatives, with participation from 2,332 employees contributing a total of 30,000 volunteer hours across various events.
Special medal
Additionally, GDRFA has incorporated an “Outstanding Volunteer” category into the Institutional Leadership Award to acknowledge exceptional contributions. Further enhancing their recognition efforts, the directorate plans to introduce the Volunteerism Medal, which will honour employees who make significant contributions under challenging circumstances. This year, they are also set to launch the Excellence Award, aiming to motivate continued participation in volunteer and humanitarian work.
