In this regard, Mahmoud Al Marzouqi, Director of Government Communications Department, explained that the Authority has developed a road map to implement its Community Initiatives Plan during the Year of Zayed. He said that the Authority was keen to involve the federal government employees, as well as all segments of society in these initiatives, in order to instil a culture of participation and volunteerism in the society.

Al-Marzouqi explained to ‘Al Khaleej’ that the Authority has signed memorandums of understanding with a number of charities and organizations specialized in humanitarian work across the country. It also launched, in partnership with these organizations, a series of community and humanitarian initiatives that focused on helping the largest number of needy people registered with these institutions, within or outside the State.

He said: “The Authority, in cooperation with Dar Al-Bir Society, launched "Umrah Al Omr" initiative for workers, to cover the cost of Umrah for 96 workers, enabling them to perform Umrah during the month of Ramadan. The Authority also launched, in collaboration with the same society, a humanitarian campaign to build a mosque in one the poor countries, as part of Zayed Day for Humanitarian Action, which falls on the 19th of Ramadan every year.”

He added that the Authority launched, in cooperation with Al-Jalila Foundation, two charitable campaigns, under "Sanadhom Amanah" community-based initiative: the first to cover the treatment cost of a 6-year-old Arab girl called Noor, who was suffering congenital hearing loss, and needed cochlear implant. The second case was providing cost of treatment for a 7-months- old baby who was born with cloudiness in his cornea and needed urgent surgery.

According to Al-Marzouqi, the Authority has distributed special publications to raise community awareness about charitable work, in cooperation with the National Archives, handed over about 50 used computers, printers and storage units to the Digital Rehabilitation Center of Dubai Municipality, in support of PCs rehabilitation project implemented by the Municipality to donate them within and outside the country, in partnership with public and private organizations in the country.

Hanan Mohammed bin Naseef, Deputy Director of Government Communications, said that the Authority carried out at the beginning of the year an initiative titled “Winter Warmth”, distributing winter clothing and necessities to 350 workers from several companies in Al Quoz Industrial Area, in collaboration with Dar al-Bir Society, and participation of 21 volunteers from the Authority and several federal bodies.

The Deputy Director of Government Communications added: “It should be noted that the Authority handed over to Dar Al-Bir Society a large amount of used office furniture to be distributed to poor families or sold to support orphan sponsorship programs and other charitable projects carried out by the Society. FAHR provided, in cooperation with its partner private companies, exclusive discounts for federal government employees, under the federal government employees’ discount program "Imtyazat.

“FAHR also provided, in cooperation with its partners under ‘Ma’arif’ Initiative for the Federal Government’s preferred training providers, free training courses for nearly 3,200 employees in ministries and federal entities during the first half of 2018 at reduced prices or free of charge. Three of its employees were also sent on Umrah during Ramadan at the Authority’s expense”.

She explained that the Authority launched a community initiative on the occasion of World Health Day, where a free medical check-up campaign was conducted for dozens of workers in Dubai in cooperation with Dar Al-Bir Society and Medeor Hospital. The campaign featured a field visit to one of the workers' homes in the Al-Quoz region in conjunction with the World Health Day, which falls on the seventh of April every year.