Dubai Is Looking for the Arab World’s Next Hope Maker. The Prize Is AED1 Million.
Nominations are open for the seventh Arab Hope Makers, with AED1 million for the winner and a call for people across the Arab world to put forward those making a difference.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has opened nominations for the seventh edition of Arab Hope Makers, the region-wide initiative that recognises individuals and organisations creating meaningful social impact. The winner will receive AED1 million to help expand their work.
Dubai has opened the seventh edition of Arab Hope Makers, described as the largest initiative of its kind in the Arab world, dedicated to recognising people whose work improves the lives of others.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the launch on Sunday, October 18, inviting people across the Arab world to nominate individuals, volunteer groups and non-profit organisations making a measurable difference in their communities, Khaleej Times reports.
The winner will receive AED1 million, with applications and nominations now open through the official platform, arabhopemakers.com.
What is Arab Hope Makers?
Sheikh Mohammed launched Arab Hope Makers in 2017 through a social media announcement offering AED1 million for the role of Hope Maker. The programme is run by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) and highlights people and organisations that voluntarily work to improve lives without seeking profit.
Eligible work includes projects, campaigns, programmes and creative initiatives that alleviate suffering, address local challenges or help communities progress socially, economically, culturally and educationally. Efforts that improve access to education, healthcare and a dignified life are also among those the initiative seeks to recognise.
Applicants can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else.
Sheikh Mohammed calls for 'role models'
Announcing the latest edition, Sheikh Mohammed described Hope Makers as role models who have made acts of kindness part of everyday life. He said:
"Nurturing hope is a triumph for life itself. The hope we cultivate today will yield prosperity, peace and safety in people's lives tomorrow."
He also encouraged people working to improve their communities to apply, and urged the public to nominate those whose contributions deserve recognition.
The initiative is built around the idea that social impact does not always come from large institutions. It can begin with an individual, a volunteer group or a local organisation solving one problem in one community. Arab Hope Makers attempts to identify those stories and give them a much larger platform.
More than 335,000 Hope Makers have participated
The scale of the initiative has grown significantly since its launch.
When the first edition was announced in 2017, organisers expected around 20,000 submissions. Instead, more than 65,000 were received from individuals, volunteer groups and humanitarian and community organisations across the Arab world.
The sixth edition attracted more than 15,800 participants, bringing the total number of Hope Makers across the first six editions to more than 335,000. For the seventh edition, organisers are aiming to collect tens of thousands of stories.
The last winner helped thousands of children receive surgery
At the most recent awards ceremony, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, named Moroccan humanitarian Fouzia Jbara Mahmoudi the winner.
Mahmoudi received the AED1 million award for her work with Operation Smile, a foundation that helps children born with cleft lips and palates. Her initiative has facilitated more than 19,000 surgeries.
The other two finalists were also awarded AED1 million each on Sheikh Hamdan's direction, bringing the total prize money for the sixth edition to AED3 million. Kuwait's Hend Alhajri founded Fatima House in Tanzania, which provides a home for orphaned children. Morocco's Abderrahmane Rais launched a humanitarian initiative supporting widows and women in need.
The prize is intended to make the work bigger
The AED1 million award is not simply recognition. Arab Hope Makers also provides financial support to help selected Hope Makers expand their work and reach more people, promoting a culture of generosity, optimism and community service across the Arab world.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of MBRGI, said the initiative draws on Sheikh Mohammed's vision of spreading optimism, countering despair and recognising people who serve their communities without expecting anything in return. He said it shines a light on the potential and talents dedicated to improving people's lives, by helping communities access education, healthcare and a dignified life.
Who can apply?
The seventh edition is open to individuals, volunteer groups and non-profit organisations across the Arab world. Eligible work can span areas including:
- humanitarian assistance
- healthcare
- education
- social and economic development
- community support
- cultural and creative initiatives that address local challenges
Applicants can nominate their own work, while members of the public can also nominate someone whose contribution they believe deserves recognition. Applications are open through arabhopemakers.com.
Why the initiative matters to Dubai
Although Arab Hope Makers reaches far beyond the UAE, Dubai is where the programme is coordinated and amplified. It fits a wider model the emirate has increasingly adopted: using its global visibility, institutions and media reach to support initiatives with regional impact.
For Dubai, that extends the city's identity beyond business, tourism and infrastructure. It positions the emirate as a platform where social projects from across the Arab world can gain visibility, funding and international attention.
The strongest stories in Arab Hope Makers are usually not about large organisations. They are about individuals who noticed a problem around them and decided to act. That remains the central idea of the seventh edition.
The AED1 million prize is significant, but the initiative is ultimately built around something simpler: finding people already creating hope, and giving them the means to create more of it.
Questions
What is Arab Hope Makers?
Arab Hope Makers is an initiative launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2017 and run by MBRGI. It recognises individuals, volunteer groups and non-profit organisations whose humanitarian and community work improves lives without seeking profit.
How much is the Arab Hope Makers prize?
The winner of the seventh edition receives AED1 million. In the sixth edition, the two other finalists also received AED1 million each, for AED3 million in total.
How do I apply or nominate someone?
Applications and nominations are open through the official website, arabhopemakers.com. You can nominate yourself or someone else.
Who can take part?
Individuals, volunteer groups and non-profit organisations across the Arab world whose work helps communities, including in education, healthcare, social and economic development, and culture.
Who won the last Arab Hope Makers?
Moroccan humanitarian Fouzia Jbara Mahmoudi won for her work with Operation Smile, which supports children born with cleft lips and palates and has facilitated more than 19,000 surgeries.
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