The Board of Trustees of the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia), under the umbrella of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), held its first meeting for 2019, chaired by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Suqia. The meeting was attended by HE Dr. Arif Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President of Khalifa University of Science and Technology; HE Dr. Ahmed Ali Murad, Dean of the College of Science at UAE University; Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development & Excellence at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA); Mohammed Abdulkareem Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of Suqia; and Fahad bin Afira Al Falasi, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Suqia.
The meeting discussed Suqia’s humanitarian achievements during the Year of Zayed, since Suqia has concluded six local and international initiatives inspired by the ideas and vision of the late Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, as part of its efforts to provide safe drinking water for the needy around the world, support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, combat poverty and disease, and help the needy and underprivileged communities.
“We are eager to ensure that all our humanitarian, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and voluntary initiatives and programmes reflect the noble values and principles instilled by our Founding Father in the hearts of citizens and residents, most notably human development, sustainability, wisdom, and giving. Our initiatives during the Year of Zayed have been aligned with our strategy and identity inspired by the vision of our wise leadership to follow the footsteps of Sheikh Zayed and extend a helping hand to anyone in need around the world,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Suqia.
Al Tayer praised Suqia’s partners in humanitarian and CSR initiatives for their significant role in the success of Suqia’s initiatives during the Year of Zayed 2018 within the UAE and abroad, stressing that Suqia’s projects helped over nine million people from 34 countries around the world in collaboration with leading charities and foundations.
Al Tayer said the board discussed the results of the 100 Volunteers initiative launched by Suqia, in collaboration with DEWA, to strengthen the values of voluntary and philanthropy amongst the youth and employees. 123 volunteers participated in Suqia’s various CSR initiatives throughout 2018. The board also discussed the results of the 100 Water Projects initiative, where Suqia provided safe drinking water to more than 125,000 people from 12 countries around the world, in collaboration with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, and the Emirates Red Crescent Authority. The projects included drilling of wells, construction of water purification plants, and the creation of a water wagon network to help transport water from remote water sources.
The board reviewed the results of the 100 Water Endowments initiative to distribute and install 100 portable water coolers at workers' residences in Dubai and Ajman in collaboration with Dubai Investment Park, Dubai Industrial Park, Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, and Dar Al Ber Society.
The meeting also discussed the 100 Letters to Zayed initiative that collected 100 letters addressed to the late Sheikh Zayed from volunteers, employees, community members, and beneficiaries of Suqia’s projects. The initiative witnessed a huge turnout, where Suqia recorded over 230 letters that expressed appreciation and gratitude to Sheikh Zayed’s journey and his humanitarian and cultural heritage.
Mohammed Abdulkareem Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of Suqia noted that the meeting commended its distinguished participation in WETEX 2018, where Suqia showcased its achievements and initiatives during the Year of Zayed. Al Shamsi submitted proposals to the board to develop categories and criteria for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award, based on best global practices in order to attract more outstanding applications and innovative technologies in clean water production using solar energy. This is in preparation for the launch of the Award’s second edition in 2019.
