The single largest donor to the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” has pledged to continue giving to UAE humanitarian projects in the future and has urged people and companies to give more to the current Ramadan campaign, which aims to create the largest sustainable food aid fund.
After adding an additional Dh50 million to its initial Dh50 million pledge to the annual initiative started by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that began on the first day of Ramadan this year, Azizi Developments’ commitment to the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” now stands at a staggering Dh100 million.
The CEO of Azizi Developments, Farhad Azizi, stated in an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times on Friday: “We’re donating Dh100 million – one shot – to one initiative. So many lives have been impacted by this effort. Both last year (the corporation donated Dh10 million) and this year, we took part. In the future, we’ll participate as well.
Azizi pointed out that there are an estimated 800 million people who don’t have access to enough food to eat every day, making world hunger a serious problem. He added that “the campaign will establish a sustainable framework to aid those in need all over the world.”
“Help in any way that we can”
It is up to each and every one of us to contribute – in whatever capacity we can – to secure a brighter future in which all of humanity has access to vital, healthy nutrition, said Azizi, 38, who moved to Dubai as a young child and grew up learning from his father, Mirwais Azizi, who founded Azizi Group in 1989.
Azizi pointed out that their significant donation to the UAE’s food drive was a logical outcome of their excellent fortune. “As a family and as a business, we always believe in giving back,” he declared. Since the nation has given us so much, it is only right that we return the favour.
“My father ran a business with just a few million dirhams when we first came here more than 30 years ago, but today our businesses (trading, banking, real estate development) have grown so much and the family is dealing in multi-billion dirham deals,” he stated.
Additional efforts
The most recent donation to the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign is just one of many endowments included in Azizi’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) portfolio, the company said.
“We have been involved in many initiatives, such as athletic competitions, women’s empowerment, medical assistance, scholarship grants, and more,” he stated. The Rashid Centre for People of Determination and the Dubai Autism Centre have received our support during the previous 6-7 years. Along with dialysis facilities and orphanages, we have constructed cancer patient hospitals in Afghanistan. Additionally, we offer scholarships to help students attend other institutions and universities.
