Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) is celebrating its 15^th anniversary this year with a record 700 registered endowments contributed by 428 endowers since its inception, with assets worth around AED6 billion in the emirate of Dubai.
 
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, said the creation of a well-functioning endowment system in the emirate was made possible by Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s keenness to facilitate a key role for endowments in advancing sustainable development. This led to the development of legislative frameworks and initiatives to streamline the allocation of endowment towards various development goals
 
The Crown Prince of Dubai praised the commendable role played by the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation, since its establishment 15 years ago, in overseeing endowments and investing it according to Shariah principles.  His Highness noted that the growing demand to register endowments reflects the humanitarian values of Emirati society and the eagerness of the community to participate in achieving sustainable progress.
 
The contribution of women to the total volume of endowments managed by the Foundation reached 50 percent for the second year in a row. Over the 15-year period since the Foundation’s inception, men accounted for 310 of all contributions, while women donated 92 and a further 26 were provided by entities and institutions.

Of the 700 endowments, philanthropic endowments accounted for 611 waqfs, Islamic family endowments made up 59, and joint endowments comprised 30 of the total. Furthermore, 619 of the endowments were waqf allocations, while 53 of them came from legacies without heirs, and 28 were received as wills or gifts.
 
Likewise, the endowments were also distributed by category. While endowments of buildings and stores accounted for 538 of the total, residential villas made up 108, lands constituted 21, financial endowments accounted for 19, shares for 13, and one endowment was in the form of a commercial license.
 
Out of the total, 445 endowments were allocated to Mosque affairs, 157 to Righteousness and Piety, 59 to the families of the endowers, and 26 to orphans. The rest of the endowments were allocated to education, people of determination, water provision, health, pilgrims and building mosques.
 
His Excellency Essa Abdullah Al Ghurair, Chairman of AMAF, said: “Endowments are a positive and sustainable mechanism to drive socio-economic development and empower society. The continuous surge in the number of endowments managed by the Foundation, which reflects the growing interest in charitable and humanitarian work among individuals and organizations, supports the UAE leadership’s overarching goal of shaping a cohesive and united society as enshrined in Dubai Plan 2021.
 
“This is in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which aim at strengthening the role of endowments in achieving and sustaining the UAE's economic and social goals.”
 
He added: “We are committed to growing our charitable and humanitarian initiatives in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to strengthen Dubai’s position as a global capital for innovation in the endowment sector."
 
For his part, His Excellency Ali Al Mutawa, Secretary General of AMAF, said: “We will continue to develop our culture of innovative endowments and offer everyone in the community an opportunity to contribute to enhancing its potential and utility. The growing participation of women in the endowment sector over the past two years is testimony to the success of the Foundation’s efforts in promoting waqfs and capitalising on their role.”
 
He added: “AMAF’s remarkable record of endowments over the past 15 years reinforces the significance of the values of tolerance, solidarity and generosity that the UAE holds dear. Charitable and humanitarian efforts have distinguished the UAE over the years and made it a global role model among the world’s nations in always being at the forefront of supporting those in need.”
 
Latifa Al Nuaimi, who contributed the milestone 700^th endowment, said: “Waqf is a charitable and social act with a lasting impact. To all those who pledge themselves to giving, I encourage them to allocate their contributions to waqfs in order to ensure the sustainability of their efforts, benefit broader segments of the community and achieve positive results that last for decades.”
 
She added: “Today, there are endowments in the world that are tens and even hundreds of years old. The most prominent example of this is the water well that Uthman ibn Affan donated as waqf that continues to flow more than 1,400 years later. Endowments are of many types and meet different requirements - among them are educational or hospital endowments or those designated for infrastructure or care for social segments most in need of support and assistance.”
 
“I thank Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation for providing the opportunity to all endowers and donors to create innovative endowments.”