UAE Food Bank signs an agreement with Awqaf Dubai to enhance community responsibility through charitable contributions

The UAE Food Bank has signed an agreement with the Endowment and Minors’ Trust Foundation (Awqaf Dubai), aimed at enhancing community responsibility within the public and private sectors and recognising contributions to charitable initiatives.

The agreement was signed by His Excellency Dawoud Al Hajri, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UAE Food Bank, and His Excellency Ali Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of Awqaf Dubai.

As per the agreement, individuals and entities that contribute to the UAE Food Bank’s charitable initiatives will be awarded with the prestigious ‘Waqf’ (endowment) mark, in line with the guidelines established by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Centre for Endowment Consultancy.

His Excellency Dawoud Al Hajri said: “The agreement with Awqaf Dubai exemplifies our commitment to establishing robust partnerships across both the public and private sectors. By creating comprehensive frameworks for coordination, we are better positioned to attract donors and broaden the impact of the UAE Food Bank’s initiatives. Through this partnership, contributors to our charitable activities will be eligible for the ‘Waqf’ mark.”

“The UAE Food Bank, part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, embodies humanitarian values and social unity, encouraging both individuals and corporations to embrace a spirit of generosity. Through our awareness and educational campaigns, we work to build a more compassionate society, setting a model for sustainable development,” Al Hajri said.

His Excellency Ali Mohammed Al Mutawa, highlighted the importance of the cooperation agreement in streamlining community contributions to charitable activities and setting clear regulations for entities contributing to the Foundation’s initiatives. “This partnership not only broadens the scope for entities endorsed by the UAE Food Bank but also encourages innovative approaches to endowment efforts, making the ‘Waqf’ mark accessible to a wider range of contributors,” he said.

“At Awqaf Dubai, we are committed to strengthening collaborative frameworks with institutions to enhance sustainable endowment initiatives and amplify their social impact. Our mission is to cultivate a culture of endowments within society through innovative humanitarian efforts that promote mutual support and solidarity across diverse community groups,” he added.

Key provisions of the agreement require the UAE Food Bank to regularly review the status of entities receiving the ‘Waqf’ mark, ensuring compliance with the standards set by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Centre for Endowment Consultancy. The UAE Food Bank is also required to notify the Centre if any nominated individuals or entities fail to meet these standards.

In turn, the Centre will be responsible for granting the ‘Waqf’ mark to entities and individuals nominated by the UAE Food Bank, ensuring they adhere to the established guidelines, and reviewing periodic reports from the Bank regarding the nominated entities.

The ‘Waqf’ mark is an honour awarded by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Centre for Endowment Consultancy to public and private sector entities with sustainable community contributions rooted in the innovative concept of endowment.