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2021

TODAY

The next generation

The future of philanthropy is in good hands

Abdulla Al Ghurair’s philanthropic legacy will be felt for generations through the opportunities he has provided to countless families and individuals. But beyond his generosity, Abdulla will be remembered for creating a foundation that is pioneering strategic models to deliver truly lasting impact. It is now for the children and grandchildren of this inspirational founder to pick up the baton and continue his philanthropic journey.

"Seeking an education is not only about personal achievement, it is our civic and religious responsibility"

Abdulla Al Ghurair

Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair is the Chairman of the Foundation. His younger brother Sultan, pictured here (right) is also on the board of directors. Photo: Touchline.

In the space of just a few decades, the UAE - and in particular Dubai - has grown to become one of the world's most cosmopolitan and forward-thinking places. A global destination with a booming economy, Dubai alone is home to more than 200 nationalities and from just one skyscraper in 1979, now has a skyline to compete with New York and Singapore.

The Al Ghurair family has played a major part in that growth and their achievements are visible across Dubai. Mashreq Bank remains the largest and oldest private bank in the UAE, while the Al Ghurair Centre - one of the first shopping malls in the Middle East - has set new standards for retail and leisure with more than 300 stores and dining outlets. Al Ghurair Construction also had a hand in building the Dubai metro and the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

But for many, Abdulla's greatest legacy will not be these bricks and mortar achievements, but rather how he used that fortune to uplift the community around him and carve out new ways to address systemic inequalities to broaden education and employment opportunities.

The family's commitment to education is playing an important role in helping the UAE of today not just compete globally, but arguably, get ahead, and gives its learners the edge when it comes to the knowledge economy as we enter into what policy makers have called the Third Industrial Revolution.

In just a few decades, Dubai has grown from a remote trading post to become a world-leading hub of innovation. Photo: Shutterstock.

The formation of the Foundation marked a departure from the more discrete philanthropy practised by Abdulla Al Ghurair's generation, but the businessman's eldest son, Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, who is the chairman of AGF, believes a data-led focus on impact and partnerships is the only way to meet the size of the challenges the family's philanthropy is seeking to address.

Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, a former Speaker of the House of the Federal National Council (FNC), the UAE's parliamentary body, also believes in the power of philanthropists talking about their work with others, to inform and inspire.

“It's not about personal pride; it's about inspiring others,” he told Philanthropy Age in an interview. “There are many people around the world who do these things just to make more money, or to brag about it. I don't want to do that; I want to work from the heart.”

The decision by the Al Ghurairs to formalise their philanthropy was a milestone for Arab giving and especially for the UAE. The family feels the weight of the responsibility to ensure their philanthropy is impactful, efficient, and properly governed. “We have hired the best people to run the Foundation,” says Abdul Aziz. “From our skilled staff, we have a strong base and there is also guidance from the board of trustees which interacts regularly with the management.”

"There are many people around the world who do these things just to make more money, or to brag about it. I don't want to do that; I want to work from the heart."

Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair

The work of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation has not gone unnoticed by Dubai's political leadership. Here, Abdulla Al Ghurair is pictured with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE. Photo: Dubai Media Office.

Sultan Al Ghurair, a son of Abdulla, who is also on the AGF board of directors, also takes his philanthropic responsibilities seriously. “To have a positive impact in the philanthropic work that was established by a person who is very dear to my heart - my father - is very important to me,” he says. “Therefore, we must make more effort to continue this journey and leave a good reputation as people who had an instrumental role in producing positive results.”

In addition to his leadership at AGF, Abdul Aziz is a philanthropist in his own right, supporting a number of charities and programmes in the UAE and beyond. His flagship initiative is the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund, which he launched in 2018, in response to the plight of refugees from Syria and the impact their displacement in neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan had on host communities in those countries.

Administered by AGF, the Dhs 120m (US$32m) Refugee Education Fund provides grants and other education support for refugee and conflict-affected Arab youth in the UAE, Lebanon, and Jordan. To-date, the Fund has benefitted close to 60,000 young people - well above its initial target of 20,000 - and a fourth batch of grantees will be named soon.

New skills

A focus on growth

AGF's newest initiative is called Nomu (Arabic for 'growth'). Launched in 2022, this aims to prepare 25,000 young Emiratis with the information, skills, and market-driven certification required to succeed in a digital, knowledge-based economy. The idea behind the initiative is to upskill youth and create learning pathways for both first-time job seekers as well as those seeking to reskill to avoid losing their jobs due to automation.

The 'pathway projects' under the umbrella of Nomu include: TechUP in partnership with online course provider UDACITY, giving young Emiratis digital literacy knowhow; SIRAJ, in partnership with CNN Arabic, equipping students with transferable skills for the workplace; and Project Hama, improving soft skills of Emirati female military recruits, under the leadership of the Prime Minister's Office.

“In order to advance the Arab world, we should focus on the young generation, support them and provide them with high quality education,” says Abdul Aziz. “We believe that education is the best weapon you can give to the youth to succeed in their future life,” adds Sultan.

Abdul Aziz is also an anchor donor in the Global Muslim Philanthropy Fund for Children (GMPFC), which was launched in 2019 by UNICEF and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). The Shariah-compliant instrument is a pooled fund for Muslim philanthropists to use their Zakat and/or Sadaqah to finance humanitarian and development programmes supporting children in the 57 Member Countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). In early 2021, the Fund made its first allocation of $12.1m towards projects, to be implemented in partnership with UNICEF, targeting (mainly) refugee children in Bangladesh, Jordan, and Pakistan.

UNICEF's former executive director, Henrietta Fore, described the GMPFC as “a unique opportunity for leading global Muslim philanthropists to come together and create significant and lasting change for the most vulnerable children and their families”. At the time of the launch, Abdul Aziz said he was proud to be “involved in coordinating and channelling Islamic philanthropy through institutionalised giving in a strategic and impactful way”.

 

The Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund

Supporting high-impact education programmes for refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.

The Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund supports high-impact education programmes at the secondary, vocational, and tertiary levels of education for refugee youth in Jordan and Lebanon and young people from conflict affected Arab countries that are living in the UAE. Since its launch in 2018, the initiative, administered by Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation and partners, has succeeded in supporting more than 60,000 youth or learners, far exceeding the initial goal of 20,000 refugees.

“It is with education that young people can develop their mind, their character, and a hopeful perspective to become productive and self-reliant members of their communities,” explains Abdul Aziz, who says philanthropists “must empower (youth) to find their own pathways to elevated livelihoods”.

He adds: “Half of the world's refugees today are children, and we cannot risk losing an entire generation due to inaccessibility to quality education,” explains Abdul Aziz. “Education offers young refugees the best chance to build the skills and knowledge they need to rebuild their lives and invest in their futures.

Abdul Aziz talks about his Refugee Education Fund.

In June 2023, Abdulla Al Ghurair's influence and legacy were acknowledged by some of the UAE's most eminent dignitaries when he was awarded the Distinguished Educational Personality Award at the 16th edition of the Khalifa Award for Education.
The Khalifa Award was created to promote the development of education and provide for effective interaction between local, Arab, and international contributors to the field. It aims to inspire new dynamism in education, aligned with contemporary advancements in scientific knowledge and information technology.

Under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, UAE Deputy Prime Minister UAE, in the presence of Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Abdulla Al Ghurair was awarded the prestigious honour in recognition of his role and contributions in advancing educational development and promoting excellence in the field at local, regional, and international levels.

Abdulla Al Ghurair's legacy is visible across the Middle East but none more so than in how he has inspired others to give. Aware of their responsibilities, his sons are already stepping up to take on the jobs of continuing the family philanthropy while also sharpening the focus of their giving to ensure it delivers the most impact.

Next Founder

Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Juffali

Born: 1924

Areas: Education, health, youth

Nationality: Saudi

Geography: Global