The UAE stresses on the culture of volunteering in promoting sustainable development and building a better future for new generations. The UAE has many organisations that engage in volunteering activities and community service including a national volunteering portal which support volunteering activities across the country.
You can volunteer your time and services to any social and charitable cause of your choice. Contact the registered charitable organisations (mentioned below) and see how you can help.
Some of the volunteering opportunities/initiatives in the UAE are:
Volunteers.ae
Volunteers.ae is a portal to support volunteering. Volunteers can register themselves on this portal and let organisations find them through the portal’s online register. Volunteers could be individuals, a group or an organisation.
The portal also publishes volunteering opportunities and criteria of volunteers needed; this will help volunteers to study the event and their capabilities before applying. Volunteers are entitled to recognition in terms of awards and volunteering hours which can be added to build their online profile.
The UAE has called upon all to come forward and register on the portal Volunteers.ae. This would be a timely and an appreciable thing to do to in view of 2017 being the Year of Giving and to continue the UAE’s selfless tradition of charity and humility. For details, contact 800-VOLAE (86523).
National Volunteer Program for Emergencies, Crises and Disasters
The National Volunteer Program for Emergencies, Crises and Disasters is launched by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA). The authority aims to form a distinguished base of volunteers and qualify them to assist in the efforts of national response during emergencies, crises and disasters. Participation in the programme is open for nationals and residents of the UAE. To join, register on the website of NCEMA.
Day for Dubai
Day for Dubai is an initiative launched by the Dubai Government in 2017. It calls on nationals and residents of Dubai to volunteer on one day in a year to help those in need and support community services by offering their time, knowledge or skills. Volunteers can contribute by giving a full day to the volunteering activities or spread out their time over the year to complete a day.
Download the ‘Day for Dubai’ app, available on App Store and Google Play.
Takatof
'Takatof' by Emirates Foundation is one of the most important initiatives aimed at raising public awareness on social needs and promoting the culture of volunteering as a way of life among the various groups of the community. It provides an opportunity for the youth to volunteer for a number of humanitarian and social programmes and to use their time in a meaningful way that polishes their character and develops their sense of responsibility towards their community. For more information, read about Takatof Voluntary Social Programme.
Sanid
'Sanid' is another volunteering initiative by Emirates Foundation in cooperation with National Emergency Crises and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA). Sanid unites volunteers throughout the UAE who share a sense of social and civic responsibility. It provides citizens and residents of the UAE with the knowledge and skills to become involved in crises and contribute to the safety of their fellow citizens.
UAE Red Crescent Authority
The Volunteer Department at UAE Red Crescent Authority aims to attract volunteers and engage them in activities that support community at the social, cultural and economic levels, individually or through secondary groups of the authority.
For distribution of volunteer roles, the Volunteer Department has divided its members into three categories: Student Crescent which includes students from elementary to secondary levels, University Crescent which comprises students of colleges, institutes and universities and Volunteers which involves all members of society.
Read about how to volunteer with Red Crescent Authority. You can also check the volunteering portalof the authority.
We Are All Police initiative
Abu Dhabi Police launched the initiative 'We Are All Police'. Under this initiative, citizens and residents are trained to become community police officers.
The programme provides skills through courses that include:
You can register for this initiative through their website or by calling 8001000.
Emirates Voluntary Academy in Abu Dhabi
This initiative aims at implanting voluntary work culture and qualifying local cadres in cooperation with public institutions, private sector and non-profitable organisations. The launch of the academy was a result of the recommendations made by the Emirate Volunteer Conference and Gulf Volunteer Forum held in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of H. H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Nahyan, Supreme Chairperson of Family Development Foundation and Chairwomen of General Women's Union.
Dubai Volunteering Center
The Dubai Volunteering Center is an initiative by Community Development Authority. It is the first formal body of Dubai Government established to manage volunteering services in the UAE, with a special focus on the emirate of Dubai. The centre connects deserving community causes with willing volunteers, thereby fostering a spirit of unity and care throughout society.
The centre lets individuals and companies to register as volunteers for various activities and events organised by the Volunteer Affairs section. These events are typically held in conjunction with various governmental, non-profit organisations and private institutions to serve the community.
Initiatives from Dubai Chamber
Dubai Chamber provides information about volunteering projects that exist in Dubai and how to engage employees in the community. The ENGAGE Dubai programme, managed by the Dubai Chamber's Centre for Responsible Business, connects businesses to community partners to get their support on different community projects. The main objective of ENGAGE Dubai programme is to stimulate corporate involvement in community development through employee volunteering.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares hosts different activities around the year with the support of the UAE's community. The institution accepts supporters who are over 16 years of age. Young people under 16 years are also eligible when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Read about how join as a volunteer.
National Fund
National Fund (Sandooq Al Watan in Arabic) is a fund established to support Emiratis to get education, training and setting up a business. This fund was started by a group of Emirati businessmen in 2016. The fund aims to develop the economy and does this by investing in the human resource.
One of its goals is to provide career guidance to 10,000 Emirati school students. In addition, the fund will provide summer and winter courses and opportunities to gain work experience to about 1,000 Emiratis. It will also support research and development in universities to create new products, services and intellectual property by allocating AED 10 to 25 million dirhams for the years 2017 – 2019.
Volunteering Incubators
Community Development Authority (CDA) will launch Volunteering Incubators, an educational course in volunteering by the end of 2017. The training programme will be designed and prepared in cooperation with one of the universities in the UAE.
The course aims to outline the volunteering process for the individuals through a course that supports their knowledge and practical abilities. It will begin with self-development lectures and basic information about volunteering. Then, it will focus on building personality by training the individuals on leadership skills, life skills, etiquettes and principles of working in a group. Finally, the course will focus on how to manage volunteering projects and attract investments for volunteering initiatives. The course will involve continuous measurement of performance and working on the development of capabilities and skills of the prospective volunteers.
After the course is completed, individuals who showed their best capabilities will be chosen to work in various community programmes covering various fields. In order to encourage and motivate community members, CDA will reward distinctive volunteers.
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