Dubai: Philanthropy work and promoting education always remained close to the late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s heart.
Sheikh Hamdan, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance who passed away on Wednesday carried out various educational projects including setting up schools and colleges across the world. He was also well known in the world for his humanitarian and philanthropy projects.
Helping underprivileged
“I feel extremely happy and comfortable when I help fill the heart of a deprived individual with joy and happiness in building a school for those who couldn’t get education or construct a Masjid (mosque) to the faithful who couldn’t raise enough funds to build their own house of worship,” Sheikh Hamdan had said on his passion for humanitarian work.
Promoting education in the UAE and in other countries remains a cause close to Sheikh Hamdan’s heart. His compassion for human beings across the globe can be seen through his acts of philanthropy in Mexico, Australia, Africa, Ireland, Europe, Pakistan, India and many other countries.
Medical centres
His Al Maktoum Foundation has contributed to the establishment of medical and therapeutic centres in Palestine, Jordan, Afghanistan and other countries, supplying them with the necessary equipment to ensure their effective and continual functioning. The Al Razi Centre in Palestine was the first such centre to receive aid from the Foundation.
Moreover, the Foundation has donated Dh20 million in medical assistance within the context of a campaign to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. Likewise, the Al Amal Centre for the treatment of cancer in Jordan has received considerable financial support due to the preventive services aimed at early detection of cancer, treatment thereof, post-treatment care and continual observation of patients using the most up-to-date means for non-recurrence of the disease.
Sheikh Hamdan Award for Medical Sciences
He set up an award to honour and encourage experts and researchers in the field of healthcare. The Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences was established in 1999 with the objective of honouring scientists from every part of the world who tirelessly pursue distinctive medical research that serves the larger interests of humanity.
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences is one of the most outstanding awards from the GCC countries, and has consistently acted as a motivating force towards promoting the medical services by honouring the scientists and the distinct working parties in academic and therapeutic scopes alongside with medical and humanitarian services all over the world.
Al Maktoum Foundation
Sheikh Hamadan’s Al Maktoum Foundation began its charitable journey in the field of humanitarian work by setting up an Islamaic Cultural Centre in Dublin, Ireland in 19997.
The Foundation started its educational program across Africa to build ten high schools with full equipment. The program still continues as the foundation has so far built more than 40 schools and colleges in 20 African countries to educate thousands of underprivileged African students.
The vision of Al Maktoum Foundation is to raise the level of the Islamic nation with science and knowledge through schools, colleges and Islamic centers.
Some main education projects:
Al Maktoum College of Engineering Studies in the city of Dar es Salaam — Tanzania
Annual support for Palestinian students enrolled in universities Jordan
Project school bags for needy students of different countries
Support for scientific research and development
Built Institute of Technology bears the name of Sheikh Saeed Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum — India
Contributed to the construction of housing for university students of the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan
Built Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum — Mexico.
Built the Faculty of Science at the University of Global Africa Sudan.
Some humanitarian projects
He inaugurated Beit Al Khair Society in Dubai, which provides assistance to the needy families and offers support various charities in the country.
His Al Maktoum Foundation’s projects across the world also include humanitarian aid to needy families and orphans.
Some projects in health sector
Al Maktoum Foundation has been involved in supporting health care facilities across the world. The foundation was involved in construction and equipping the hospitals and health care agencies.
It contributed to the construction of Dar Al Shifa Hospital — Lebanon
Established Al-Razi Hospital Care Unit Central — Palestine
Al Maktoum Charity also takes care of determined people.
It built the Center of Sheikha Maitha girl Rashid Al Maktoum in Hatta, UAE
It also built and finance Centre Al Maktoum of cerebral palsy — Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
It also provides annual support for a number of local and international centers of special needs.
Relief work
Sheikh Hamdan’s Al Maktoum Foundation also carried out a number of relief and emergency assistance projects across the world. Some of its relief projects included:
Providing help to Mozambique flood victims.
Earthquakes in Iran and Algeria.
Tsunami — Sri Lanka.
Niger famine in 2005.
Famine in the Horn of Africa, Kenya — Somalia — Ethiopia — Rwanda in 2006.
Relief work Somalia in 2011.
