GDRFA Dubai hosts 2020 winner of the Arab Hope Makers award

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) hosted Emirati hope maker Ahmed Al Falasi – the winner of 2020 Arab Hope Makers Award. The initiative reflects the Directorate’s keenness to establish social responsibility in the field of humanitarian and charitable work in line with the vision of the wise leadership with regard to promoting social values and consolidating the concepts of social cohesion. During the ceremony organized by GDRFA Dubai, Ahmed Al Falasi discussed his experience of being the hope maker for hopeless people in the presence of His Excellency Major General Obaid Sorour Bin Muhair, Deputy Director General of GDRFA Dubai, and a number of senior officers and employees of the Directorate. Al Falasi said: “I started my charitable work with a visit to remote African countries and among the most painful cases I witnessed is a hospital in Kenya, which was almost destroyed and with almost damaged equipment. There were several numbers of deaths every week because the hospital was unable to treat kidney failure disease. Seeing their plight, I decided to start rebuilding and rehabilitating it in terms of providing equipment for treatment. This hospital became a challenge that enabled me to save thousands of patients in Kenya." Ahmed Al Falasi talked about the biggest challenges he faced during his journey in charitable work, and how to overcome these challenges with determination and patience, noting that this is not invincible to the sons of Zayed, as we have grown up on the values of the founding fathers. The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum instilled in us the greatest meanings of giving and virtues and encouraged us to stand by the needy wherever they are. In addition, the continued support from our wise leadership who emphasize its great importance towards society also inspires him, he said. He praised the role of the health authorities and the embassies of the UAE abroad for their efforts and support in this charitable project. His Excellency Major General Obaid bin Muhair said: “The experience of Al Falasi had a great humanitarian impact in the Arab world, as such figures who grew up learning the good values of Zayed constitute to lighting beacons of hope in many societies which are affected by the first obstacle they confront. “We were keen to host this hero because what we have witnessed today is symbol of giving and a love for charitable work which inspires society,” he added, quoting His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, saying: “The makers of hope are true givers and models who inspire charitable and humanitarian work, they take the initiative and the goodness prevails on others.” At the end of the session, His Excellency Major General bin Muhair honoured the Hope Maker Ahmed Al Falasi for his unparalleled achievements in humanitarian work and transferring it to the world. He expressed his happiness in hosting him at GDRFA Dubai, which paves the way for its members to benefit from his experience and encourage them to undertake charitable work.