Thankfully, the UAE offers many easy and convenient digital ways of donating funds to humanitarian causes.
The below websites and applications allow you to donate money to reputable, trusted and worthwhile charitable projects in just a few clicks.
Beit Al Khair Society
Launched in 1989, Beit Al Khair invites UAE residents to make digital donations to charitable projects that support communities across the world. The ‘Daily Charity’ option allows you give one lump sum that is then split across all the platform’s multiple charities, while there’s also donation pages for crucial causes such as Tarahum for Gaza and the 1 Billion Meal Endowment, a campaign launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that aims to provide hundreds of millions of meals for people in need. Users can also use the platform to give Zakat, make charity endowments, pay fasting penance and donate funds to support water aid projects and other humanitarian efforts.
Dubai Cares
Another global initiative organized by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Cares provides quality education for children and young people in developing countries. Since its launch in 2007, it has helped 21 million beneficiaries in 60 developing countries, and its programs prioritise various areas such as early childhood development, primary and secondary education, technical and vocational training for youth, and providing education in emergencies and crisis situations. Donating just Dh5 provides one child with education for one day, while Dh25 gives a hungry child 25 school meals, and Dh70 buys six school textbooks.
Emirates Red Crescent
Launched in Abu Dhabi in 1983, the Emirates Red Crescent is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the largest humanitarian network in the world. Focused on local and international projects, the website invites users to give money to various different campaigns, including relief in Palestine, global water and well projects, aid to those hit by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, empowering refugee women, feeding the needy and much more.
Tooba
Tooba is a unique global charity app that allows UAE residents to donate to multiple non-profit organizations and charitable projects through one platform. Launched in 2018, it has so far facilitated the transfer of almost US$20 million to aid efforts, including over $2 million for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. It collaborates with over 100 charities across the globe, and the UAE’s very own Al Jalila Foundation has just come on board as the platform’s official partner. Driven by a desire to transform lives through patient treatment, medical education, and research, the foundation is now working with Tooba to make giving to charity in the UAE more convenient and accessible than ever before.
YallaGive
Known for being the first licensed online donation and crowdfunding platform in the Middle East, YallaGive only works with reputable charities that have been thoroughly verified. Along with allowing individuals, schools and companies to create their own fundraising pages in aid of their favorite charities, it also invites users to donate to established non-profit organizations covering areas such as humanitarian relief, health care, community support and environmental protection. It has so far supported over 5,000 charitable campaigns, and it accepts more than 83 different types of Cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin.
The UN Refugee Agency
In 2023, the world’s number of forcibly displaced people surpassed the 110 million milestone, and The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) works tirelessly to provide lifesaving aid for refugees in every corner of the globe. The website invites donors to make monthly or one-off donations to the countries that need it most, including Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Rohingya. Donating Dh183 per month provides enough money to support projects to construct wells in deprived communities, while a one-off payment of Dh396 supplies three people with water, food and shelter for one month. Bank transfer payments are also accepted.
The United Nations Children’s Fund
Since it was launched in 1990, The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has helped save the lives of 90 million children, more than any other humanitarian organization in the world. UAE residents can use the website to make monthly and one-off donations to help UNICEF deliver urgent support and resources to the world’s most vulnerable children, including the 25,000 children who have been orphaned in the recent atrocities in Gaza, and displaced kids and families in Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, Ukraine and beyond.