The UAE never gives up when it comes to giving

A UAE newspaper has said that the country has always led in the field of charity, aid and voluntary initiatives globally. Thanks to its relentless humanitarian contributions, the country has rightly been recognised as the most generous.

"President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan's designating 2017 as the Year of Giving has taken generosity to an unparalleled level," said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Tuesday.

The paper went on to say, "Sheikh Khalifa’s initiative unambiguously seeks to promote the culture of giving back to the community so as to enhance the spirit of volunteering and loyalty to one’s country.

"Pushing the idea further, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has ordered the formation of the Higher National Committee to implement the initiative.

"Sheikh Mohammed has 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, besides developing the UAE foreign aid in accordance with the best international practices.

"The idea is to establish a permanent change of behaviour among people towards serving the homeland in a positive way as part of the UAE lifestyle.

"The three key pillars of the Year of Giving’s general framework are creating a sense of community responsibility in the private sector; enhancing the spirit of volunteering and encouraging specialised volunteer programmes, and instilling national spirit and loyalty in the next generation to serve their country.

"In such a noble scheme of things, everyone and every organisation has a role to play. Significantly, the programmes and initiatives of the Year of Giving will target the private sector, given the fact that it is an important and major partner in the developmental march of the country.

"The country is following the path of charity established by its founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, while embarking on such a benevolent path," the paper concluded.