Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | Suqia Board approves projects during Year of Tolerance and discusses 2nd round of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award

The Board of Trustees of the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia), under the umbrella of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, held its second meeting for 2019 to discuss its projects during the Year of Tolerance and details of the second Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award. The meeting was chaired by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Suqia. The meeting was attended by HE Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Development Affairs; HE Fahad Abdelrahman bin Sultan, Deputy Secretary-General for International Aid in the UAE Red Crescent Authority; Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation at DEWA; Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development & Excellence at DEWA; Mohammed Abdulkareem Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of Suqia; and Fahad Abdullah bin Afira Al Falasi, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Suqia.

“Suqia’s projects and initiatives are particularly important during the Year of Tolerance 2019 that was announced by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. The Year of Tolerance is an extension to the Year of Zayed 2018 as it continues the values of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan that has been instilled in the heart of Emiratis. At Suqia, we continue to implement the projects and initiatives that aim to provide safe drinking water to the less privileged around the world, regardless of religion, race, culture, or nationality. This implements the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who once said, ‘UAE Water Aid will not differentiate between one person and another, so are all of our humanitarian works, such as the UAE’s humanitarian mission that lies in helping the afflicted, the needy and disadvantaged people all over the world without any distinction.’ Based on the UN’s report about the progress of Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, which highlights countries most in need of clean water, Suqia aims to implement development projects in a number of African countries this year. This will be done in cooperation with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment and Dar Al Ber Society. These projects will focus on supporting sustainable development and infrastructure in these countries,” said Al Tayer.

Mohammed Abdulkareem Al Shamsi noted that the Board meeting also discussed details of the second Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award, which is supervised by Suqia. It will include new categories and standards based on best international practices. Al Shamsi said that Suqia will organise a number of international volunteering visits this year in cooperation with DEWA and Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment to implement sustainable projects and follow up on the projects that were implemented last year. Suqia will also continue its Ramadan campaign this year in cooperation with Mai Dubai to provide water to those fasting, through a number of local charities in different countries around the world in cooperation with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment.