23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Sheikh Mohammed awards prizes to Arab Hope Makers 2025
The winners of the 2025 Arab Hope Makers award were announced at Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena on Sunday evening. Samar Nadeem, Ahmed Zainoun and Khadija Al Qarti will receive Dh1 million each in recognition of their humanitarian work. The award was established by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to honour people in the Arab world who dedicate their lives to humanitarian work. Ms Nadeem, also known as Egypt's rose, provides a safe haven for abandoned and neglected elderly mothers. She offers them shelter and picks them up from the streets after they have been abandoned by their families. 'I always tell my kids, if I grow old and wear a nappy, don't leave me. It's only a matter of days before I go to God,' she said. 'I hope that anyone who has a parent on the street will take them in before I do. It doesn't mean that just because your parents are sick, you should abandon them. They are heaven on earth.' Mr Zainoun cares for Children of the Moon, who suffer from a rare disease where exposure to sunlight causes extreme damage. 'I never imagined that people lived in the dark. A child dies without anyone hearing a voice,' said Mr Zainoun, from Morocco. Mr Zainoun provides everything for them, including masks with a heat-protective layer, making it his mission to bring them out into the sun. Ms Al Qarti, also from Morocco, lost her husband to cancer, which inspired her to help people in any way she could. She opened her home to cancer patients, sheltering more than 120 women at a time. Over 15 years, her house became a haven for 60,000 women suffering from cancer – many despondent, and one suicidal. She took in 30 patients per day, providing them with food, drink, and a place to sleep for free. 'I have one door. God has many doors,' she said. Arab Hope Makers was established in 2017 by Sheikh Mohammed. It attracted more than 300,000 nominations during its first four events. The award was launched to celebrate people engaged in projects that improve and uplift society. Sheikh Mohammed said the fifth Hope Makers received more than 26,000 stories from young men and women. "Hope is the bridge that connects the reality we live in and the future we desire. We must contribute to building bridges for millions of young people so that they are not overcome by despair and hopelessness," said Sheikh Mohammed earlier this month. In December, the Dubai Ruler encouraged people to nominate themselves or others on the Arab Hope Makers website. At the end of last year, Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Secretary General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, spoke of the importance of the award in showing charitable endeavours all over the region. "This initiative is a realistic call to combat despair and negativity by focusing on the positive within our Arab communities," Mr Al Gergawi said.
