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Gulf Today
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Dubai donates Dhs5.5 million to fight malnutrition in three African countries
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), through its 1 Billion Meals campaign, announced it has completed several key projects combating malnutrition in Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Senegal. This work, conducted in partnership with the UN's UNITLIFE Trust Fund, stems from a 2022 strategic agreement to support underprivileged communities globally by improving access to nutrition and promoting a dignified life. Through the 1 Billion Meals campaign, MBRGI contributed Dhs5.5 million to UNITLIFE programmes in Niger, DRC, and Senegal. This funding supported long-term food security strategies. The MBRGI-UNITLIFE partnership prioritises sustainable approaches to combating malnutrition, including climate-smart agriculture, locally tailored solutions for market system development, and community empowerment through nutrition-focused initiatives. Such approaches help address the root causes of malnutrition while providing sustained support to hunger-stricken regions. MBRGI's support enabled UNITLIFE to implement projects in Niger, DRC, and Senegal, focusing on increased local food production, women's empowerment and economic engagement. These programmes foster the development of a more inclusive and resilient food system. Prof. Philippe Douste-Blazy, former French Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Steering Committee of UNITLIFE, underscored the importance of sustainable, long-term solutions in addressing malnutrition. 'Our strategic partnership with MBRGI is crucial in expanding these solutions, empowering vulnerable communities not only to confront food security challenges but also to build resilience and effectively manage their nutritional needs.' Philippe Douste-Blazy expressed gratitude for MBRGI's support through the 1 Billion Meals campaign, which has been instrumental in enabling UNITLIFE to reach a broader population in Niger, DRC and Senegal, ultimately empowering them to improve their lives. The strategic partnership between Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) and UNITLIFE has successfully completed a series of impactful projects to combat malnutrition and strengthen food resilience across several African countries. While the projects have concluded, they continue to enable communities to sustainably access nutritious meals year after year. In Niger, a 12-month project with Goal Global focused on promoting bio-fortified and climate-resilient agriculture. The initiative reached 168,826 beneficiaries and continues to enable access to over 1.4 million nutritious meals annually by supporting sustainable farming practices. In DRC, a 17-month initiative in partnership with UN Women established a biofortified cassava food chain. Designed to empower women and enhance community nutrition, the project benefited 128,558 individuals and continues to facilitate access to approximately 1.1 million nutritious meals annually. In Senegal, a two-year project with Action Against Hunger focused on promoting integrated food resilience. The initiative reached 33,223 beneficiaries and has strengthened local systems to enable access to an estimated 3.9 million nutritious meals annually. In 2022, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the 1 Billion Meals campaign, which provided food aid to those in need across 50 countries, achieving its targets before the end of Ramadan of that year. MBRGI implements charitable and humanitarian programs across five key areas: Humanitarian Aid & Relief, Healthcare & Disease Control, Spreading Education & Knowledge, Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Empowering Communities. In 2024, MBRGI's spending across these key pillars amounted to over Dhs2.2 billion, impacting nearly 149 million beneficiaries in 118 countries. Launched in 2019, UNITLIFE, a UN trust fund, combats chronic malnutrition globally through a multi-disciplinary approach. The fund explores innovative funding opportunities to address gaps in global health and food systems, including investing in scalable, sustainable agricultural projects and programs empowering women to address malnutrition within their communities. In January, MBRGI pledged Dhs36.7 million in support of sustainable projects and programmes organised by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency to aid forcibly displaced communities. This brings the total contributions by MBRGI to Dhs163.6 million since 2021. The pledge was formalised in a cooperation agreement signed by MBRGI and UNHCR during the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, Switzerland. The agreement reflects MBRGI's commitment to strategic humanitarian support, empowering refugee and displaced communities through sustainable projects and programmes designed to improve their living conditions. WAM
Gulf Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Gulf Today
Sharjah realty sector zooms, hits Dhs5.5 billion in May
Business Bureau, Gulf Today The Emirate of Sharjah recorded strong performance in its real estate sector during May 2025, with total trading value of Dhs5.5 billion across 8,415 transactions in various areas of the emirate. The total traded area of sales transactions reached 13.2 million square feet, which reflects the continued strength and strategic development of the emirate's real estate market. Sharjah's real estate performance reflects market dynamics and expanding demand. The real estate sector in Sharjah is undergoing a strategic transformation, marking a clear shift from traditional growth patterns toward a more advanced, diversified, and sustainable phase. This evolution is reflected in the rising range of investors and the increasing variety of real estate uses entering the market. Underlying this transition is the growing maturity of the sector, driven by a combination of key enablers — most notably, the government's proactive vision to enhance the business environment and the implementation of flexible, investor-friendly legislation. These reforms are designed to keep pace with dynamic market needs, offering both confidence and strong legal assurances to local and international stakeholders. At the same time, balanced urban expansion, along with ambitious development projects being implemented across the emirate, has helped reshape the real estate landscape in a more comprehensive and diverse manner. This trend has created new investment opportunities, supported by modern infrastructure and promising areas that are witnessing increasing interest from investors and developers. Statistics from May 2025 highlight the growing momentum in Sharjah's real estate sector, with a total of 8,415 transactions recorded across the emirate. Of these, 1,574 were sales transactions, accounting for 18.7 per cent of the total — a clear indicator of increasing demand for real estate. In parallel, mortgage activity remained strong, with 381 mortgage transactions, representing 4.5 per cent of all transactions and totalling more than Dhs1.1 billion in value. This level of financing activity reflects the growing confidence of both investors and financial institutions in Sharjah's real estate sector. Initial sales contract transactions totalled 1,486, accounting for 17.7 per cent of all real estate transactions, while ownership certificate recorded 3,619 transactions, representing 43 per cent of the total. Furthermore, 1,355 ownership deeds were issued during May, comprising 16.1 per cent of total transactions. This underscores the steady pace of ownership registration and property transfers, reinforcing the emirate's reputation for transparency, legal integrity, and a well-regulated real estate environment. Sales transactions took place in 134 areas across the various cities and regions of the Emirate of Sharjah. These properties included residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural lands. Regarding the type of property traded, 877 lands were traded, 395 of units in towers, and 302 of built-in land transactions. 'Al-Metraq' was the highest-traded area in terms of sales transactions. Sharjah City accounted for the majority of sales deals in May, recording a total of 1,426 transactions. 'Al-Metraq' ranked the highest in terms of the number of sales transactions, with 354, followed by 'Muwailih Commercial' area with 258 transactions. 'Tilal' area ranked third with 135 deals, then 'Rodhat Al Qarat' area recorded 67 transactions. In terms of the areas with the highest trading value, 'Muwailih Commercial' area ranked the highest with a trading value of Dhs352.2 million, followed by 'Tilal' with Dhs263.2 million, 'Al-Sajaa Industrial' area with Dhs140.9 million, and 'Al-Metraq' with Dhs114.9 million. In the Central Region, a total of 97 sales transactions were recorded, most of which were in the 'Industrial 1' with 17 transactions. In terms of trading value, 'Al-Blida' area ranked the highest with a trading value of Dhs13.8 million. As for the city of Khor Fakkan, it recorded 26 sales transactions, in which 'Al-Harai Industrial' area recorded 5 transactions. Meanwhile, Hay Hayawa 4 area had the highest trading value of Dhs3.6 million. Finally, and in Kalba city, 24 sales transactions were recorded, led by 'Al-Tarif 5' area with 7 transactions, while 'Al Soor 1' had the highest trading value of Dhs3.5 million. Meanwhile earlier the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department (Sharjah RERD) signed a memorandum of cooperation with Emirates Islamic bank (EIB) to activate a direct electronic link between the two parties. This step is part of the department's strategy to digitise its services and enhance the efficiency of real estate registration and financing procedures, which is in line with the Sharjah government's digital transformation efforts and the provision of smart interconnected services. The memorandum was signed by Abdul Aziz Ahmed Al-Shamsi, Director General of the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department, and Farid Al Mulla, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Islamic, in the presence of several department directors and officials from both parties.
