The UAE has formed a Higher National Committee for the Year of Giving initiative, which would include five ministers as members and the secretaries-general of the Executive Council of the emirates or those who would be nominated from local governments in the UAE.

The committee was formed by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to implement the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan with regard to the Year of Giving initiative, said a Wam news agency report.

Sheikh Mohammed also directed the immediate implementation of the directives of the President through the development of a comprehensive framework for the Year of Giving, taking into account the creation of quality and sustainable shift in the private sector’s partnership with the public sector.

The committee also aims to bring a shift in voluntary work to be supportive of the work done by the government staff in the country, enabling governmental work to benefit from the voluntary work of all the UAE citizens and residents via the provision of specialist voluntary services to the Emirati society.

Sheikh Mohammed also directed the committee to set up a working plan in partnership with all segments of the society and implement real initiatives for the benefit of the UAE society in the time to come, besides developing the UAE foreign aid in accordance with the best international practices and working to establish a permanent change of behaviour of the generations towards serving the homeland in a positive way as part of the UAE lifestyle.

The committee will include Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and The Future and chairman of the Higher National Committee for the Year of Giving; Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy; Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Co-operation; Najla bint Mohammed Al Awar, Minister of Community Development; Dr Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State (chairman of the board of directors of National Media Council); Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness; Shamma bint Sohail Faris AlMazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs; Dr Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazroui, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi; Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Shaibani, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Dubai; Sultan Ali bin Butti Al Muhairi; Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Sharjah; Saeed Saif Al Matrooshi, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Ajman; Dr. Mohammed Abdul Latif Khalifa; Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Ras al-Khaimah; Humaid Rashid Al Shamsi; Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Umm Al Qaiwain; Mohammed Saeed Al Dhanhani; Director of the Fujairah Amiri Diwan and Saeed Al Eter, Director-General of the Public Diplomacy Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, he will be the rapporteur of the committee.

"The committee will directly begin to set the main objectives of the Year of Giving based on the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the framework set by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as well as per the directives and remarks of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, which emphasise that everyone’s ideas, initiatives or work for promoting solidarity in the community would be a road map for all members of the committee during 2017," said Al Gergawi, chairman of the committee.

According to him, cabinet members have started setting up the guidelines, main factors and framework of the Year of Giving initiative based on which the operational teams will work while preparing for the first meeting of the committee at the beginning of the new year. Team members have also started designing a logo for the initiative, to be used by all local government and media organisations, he added.

Al Gergawi pointed out that work in the Year of Giving would be conducted through specialised executive groups, which would include a large number of government officials, businessmen from the private sector and others.

He also noted that after the committee’s first meeting, there would be a meeting with the media outlets to explain details and the targeted initiatives of the Year of Giving on the role of the private sector, in partnership with the government, to serve the community.