Ambassador Hazza Alqahtani presenting how aid is managed in his country
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been the top donor country since 2013 for aid to promote peace and prosperity, human solidarity and tolerance regardless of color, race or religion, according to UAE Ambassador to Rwanda, Hazza Alqahtani.
“For the sixth consecutive year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has managed to maintain its advanced position as one of the largest international donors of official development assistance as a proportion of gross national income, ranking first rank in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. And in 2018, UAE foreign aid exceeded the United Nations target percentage of 0.7% of gross national income, which was adopted by the Organization for Cooperation and economic development (OECD). Here again, 0.93% of the UAE’s gross national income has been provided as foreign aid. Which makes the UAE one of the biggest donors in the world,” he said.
Group photo
He made these remarks during his meeting at his office with the delegation of UN Agencies led by the Representative of One UN, Fodé Ndiaye. The objective was to strengthen the partnership between the UAE and the UN Agencies.
Ambassador Hazza Alqahtani stressed that over the years, the UAE has positioned itself at the forefront of the international arena as an active player in international efforts to address the challenges of development and humanity. This vision was put in place by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Naliyan, Founder of the UAE in 1971, who established the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) for the purpose of reaching out to brothers and friends in the implementation of national development projects.
Here again foreign aid plays a crucial role in the UAE’s efforts to counter extremism, removing the circumstances that lead to desperation and allow extremism to take hold. In fragile countries, partnerships will help improve the quality of life of populations and give them hope for the future by stimulating economic growth, eradicating poverty, providing education and employment opportunities to young people, by improving public services, access to justice and strengthening national authorities, according to Ambassador Hazza Alqahtani.
UAE’s efforts to tackle Covid-19 around the world
In addition to others, a dozen countries have benefited from the main UAE interventions in medical supplies and equipment in the fight against VOC ID-19.
These are Yemen (122 tonnes); Turkmenistan (77 tonnes); the Maldives (72 tonnes); the United Kingdom (66.6 tonnes); Sudan (63.5 tonnes); Syria (59.2 tonnes); Colombia (53.5 tonnes); Iran (49.1 tonnes); and Iraq (42.6 tons).
UAE’s foreign aid, spread from 2015 to September 2020, reaches $ 38.89 billion. It focused on main sectors such as general assistance programs (55.7%); Food aid (14.8%); Transport and Storage (5.4%); Health (5%); Social Services (3.7%); Education (2.6%); Construction and civil development (2.7%); and others (10.9%).
By continent, Africa received $ 17.60 billion (45.2%) broken down as follows: North Africa 37.8%; East Africa 5.2%; West Africa 2%; Central Africa 0.1%; South Africa 0.1%.
UN Agencies received a total of $ 2 billions.
UAE foreign aid to Rwanda from 2015 to September 2020
A plane brought 4 tons of medical equipment for a staff of four thousand people fighting against Covid-19. This represents a total cost of $ 11.9 million which includes Educational Aid $ 10.1 million; Health $ 1.1 million; Energy $ 0.5 million; Social Services $ 0.2 million; Biosphere and Biodiversity ($ 0.01 million).
In 2019, the UAE Embassy trained one hundred young women leaders in this sector in tourism and hospitality.
In 2018, twenty students, boys and girls, went to study at universities in the UAE through scholarships offered by the UAE in the disciplines of Architecture; Mechanical Engineering ; Electrical Engineering; Biology; Biochemistry, and Computer Sciences.
The scholarship programs empower students in building a better future, and contributing to the development of their country and the local community. (End)