MoF Launches ‘Inspirational Volunteering Stories’ Series and Hosts MR. Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarouni in Its First Session

In line with its commitment to foster a socially responsible culture and instil values of volunteering, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) launched the first session of its series ‘Inspirational volunteering stories’ at the Innovation Lab at the ministry's headquarters in Dubai, on the occasion of International Day of Charity on Thursday 5 September. Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarooni, Director of the Emirates Red Crescent in Dubai, chaired the first session, which was attended by ministry employees from across career levels.

During the session, Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarouni spoke about his 30-year career in volunteerism and social responsibility. Attendees listened to several local, regional and international inspirational stories, witnessed by Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarouni. The session saw a remarkable interaction, and the attendees asked several questions about volunteering, most prominently in areas of solidarity and social cohesion.

H.E. Mariam Mohammad Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for the Management of Financial Resources at MoF, affirmed the ministry's keenness to encourage a sense of social responsibility and a culture of volunteerism among employees of the ministry. This is part of its commitment to contribute to the welfare of the community and support the sustainable development goals of the UAE, in order to form a road map to bring about positive change in society.

H.E. Mariam Al Amiri said: “We have launched the series on ‘Inspirational volunteering stories’ to foster positivity through learning about the exemplary experiences others have had in this field.”

H.E. added: “We are delighted to host Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarooni as the first guest of this inspiring series. Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarouni is considered to be one of the pioneers of voluntary work in the nation. Throughout his three-decade career, in which he had many outstanding human and social achievements, he is now regarded as one of the leading contributors to encouraging volunteerism among society. In the future, we will continue this series and host a number of prominent figures in this area to support the ministry’s community efforts.”

Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarooni said: “Volunteerism in the UAE is a community culture reinforced by government initiatives and reflects the extent to which nationals adhere to this culture as part of the UAE’s social fabric. I am delighted to be part of the Ministry of Finance's ‘Inspirational volunteering stories’ session. Such initiatives play a key role in informing society about the importance of volunteering and community involvement as an essential tool for building a better future for coming generations.”

The Ministry of Finance has organized and participated in several initiatives and volunteering campaigns aimed at the welfare of the community and sustainable development goals. These campaigns witnessed participation of the ministry's employees and leadership.

These initiatives include the distribution of Iftar meals during the “Iftar Saem” campaign and the “Ramadan is Tolerance” activity during the last month of Ramadan, and the “Your Eid is on us" campaign, which aimed to bring joy to the employees of the Ministry. Additionally, MoF launched initiatives to support unwell ministry staff through donations, a summer camp for People of Determination, the Sheikh Zayed e-book initiative for school students, as well as the ‘For Your Sake, Somalia’ campaign, and a donation campaign for Aleppo.