Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk, during the Dubai Shopping Festival closing celebrations. Photo: Ninoksha Maria, Wikimedia Commons, “Coca-Cola Arena during the Dubai Shopping Festival Closing Celebrations”, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
Some of the most remarkable people in any city never appear on a billboard. They run food drives from spare rooms or tutor children for free after work. Arab Hope Makers exists to find them, and on Sunday morning Dubai’s Ruler opened the search once again.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the seventh edition on X. This year’s winner will receive Dh1 million. As Gulf News and Arabian Business reported, nominations are now open. This guide explains who qualifies and how to put a name forward. It also shows how to volunteer or give safely in Dubai while the search runs.
Last updated: Sunday 18 October 2026, Dubai time. Deadlines and the ceremony date had not been published when we wrote this. Check the official website before you apply.
What Sheikh Mohammed Announced on Sunday
The announcement came in a short, almost poetic post on X. “Societies thrive on hope,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote, in the translation published by Gulf News. “In every village and city, there are people who have dedicated themselves to the good of humanity.” Such people, he added, “do not seek the spotlight or fame, but we seek them out to honour them.”
Clearly, the message struck a chord. By early afternoon, his post had been viewed more than 36,000 times and reshared over 300 times. It also echoed the seven rules for life in Dubai that he shared earlier this month.
The initiative is run by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI). This Dubai-based foundation is behind many of the city’s best-known humanitarian projects. According to Arabian Business, the prize is worth about $272,000. Meanwhile, The National quoted MBRGI Secretary General Mohammed Al Gergawi. He said the initiative had contributed significantly to humanitarian work and volunteering across the Arab world since 2017.
Who Can Be Nominated for Arab Hope Makers
The rules are deliberately broad. According to Gulf News, the organisers welcome nominations of:
- individuals who have started a humanitarian, charitable or social project
- volunteer groups working together on a shared cause
- non-profit organisations whose work has a clear, positive impact.
The work itself can take many forms. For example, it might help vulnerable people, improve living conditions, support education or assist communities facing hardship. However, two conditions are firm. First, the effort must be voluntary. Second, nobody involved may be chasing personal financial gain or public recognition.
Notably, you do not have to wait for someone else to spot you. People can nominate themselves, or put forward a friend, colleague or neighbour whose work deserves attention. The National adds that the award is open to applicants across the Arab world and beyond. So a Dubai resident running a project abroad may also qualify.
How to Put a Name Forward
Nominations go through the official website, arabhopemakers.com. The organisers hope to gather tens of thousands of stories, so it pays to prepare yours properly. A sensible approach looks like this:
- Check that the work fits the criteria: voluntary, non-profit and of clear benefit to others.
- Write down what the project does, who it helps and how long it has been running.
- Gather evidence of impact, such as the number of people helped, photographs or press coverage.
- Ask permission first if you are nominating someone else.
- Submit the entry on the official website and keep a copy of what you sent.
Above all, specific stories stand out. “She helps families in need” says very little. By contrast, a line about how many children a project has fed, taught or treated paints a far clearer picture.
From a Job Advert to Coca-Cola Arena
Arab Hope Makers began in 2017 with an unusual idea. Sheikh Mohammed posted what looked like a job advert. It offered Dh1 million to anyone who could fill the role of “Hope Maker”. The organisers had hoped for 20,000 entries; instead, more than 65,000 arrived.
Since then, the response has stayed strong. Over six editions, the initiative has gathered more than 335,000 stories. The sixth edition alone drew about 15,800 entries, according to Gulf News.
The finale has also become one of Dubai’s more moving public evenings. In February 2026, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the Crown Prince of Dubai, crowned Fouzia Jbara Mahmoudi of Morocco at Coca-Cola Arena. Her foundation, Operation Smile, has carried out more than 19,000 operations on children born with cleft lips and palates. She won the most votes on the night. Afterwards, Sheikh Hamdan directed that the other two finalists should also receive Dh1 million each:
- Hend Alhajri from Kuwait, who built Fatima House, a home for orphaned children in Zanzibar
- Abderrahmane Rais from Morocco, whose Suroor initiative settles the debts of widows in remote villages.
A year earlier, the title went to Ahmed Zainoun of Morocco. He was honoured for treating children with a rare skin condition known as Children of the Moon, as Khaleej Times recalled. Dates for this year’s finale have not yet been announced.
How to Volunteer in Dubai
Not everyone has a project worthy of a national stage, and that is perfectly fine. Dubai has a well-organised system for anyone who simply wants to help. In fact, volunteering here is regulated by law, which protects both volunteers and the people they serve.
Register With the Dubai Volunteering Center
The Community Development Authority (CDA) runs the Dubai Volunteering Center. It links government, private and non-profit events with willing volunteers. Once you register, the CDA issues a digital volunteer card. Later, you can request a certificate of your volunteering hours, which is useful for university applications and CVs.
This system comes from Law No. 5 of 2018, which regulates volunteer work in Dubai. Under it, the CDA keeps a register of volunteers, while organisers must train them and provide insurance cover. As a result, an opportunity listed through official channels is far safer than an informal call-out on social media.
Browse the National Platform
For openings nationwide, the federal platform volunteers.ae lists opportunities by emirate, including Dubai. The platform caters for individuals, companies and volunteer teams. It is especially timely this year, because the United Nations has proclaimed 2026 the International Volunteer Year.
Support Causes With Dubai Roots
Several of the city’s best-known charities sit under the same MBRGI umbrella as the award. For instance:
- the UAE Food Bank, launched by Sheikh Mohammed in 2017, collects surplus food with Dubai Municipality and passes it to people in need
- Dubai Cares focuses on helping children in developing countries get a quality education.
Giving Safely: Dubai’s Rules on Donations
Generosity is welcome here, but fundraising is tightly controlled. Before you start a collection for a good cause, it is worth knowing the rules:
- Dubai’s Decree No. 9 of 2015 bans raising or advertising donations without written approval. That approval comes from the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD).
- Penalties under the decree include a fine of Dh5,000 to Dh100,000, one month to a year in prison, or both.
- Federal Law No. 3 of 2021 goes further. It bars private individuals from collecting donations at all.
- Promoting an unlicensed fundraiser online risks imprisonment, a fine of Dh200,000 to Dh500,000, or both. The UAE Public Prosecution has warned about this.
- Registered volunteers and teams must also notify the CDA, and get approval from the relevant authority, before raising money.
In practice, the safest approach is simple. Give through a licensed charity’s own channels. Politely decline anyone collecting cash on the street or asking for private bank transfers.
Can Visitors Get Involved?
Short-stay visitors usually find formal volunteering harder. The CDA service is aimed mainly at people who live in the UAE. Even so, there are easy ways to take part. For example, you can donate through a licensed charity. You could also nominate someone back home whose work fits the criteria.
Planning a trip during the holy month? Our guide to Ramadan in Dubai shows how the city’s spirit of giving shapes daily life. Likewise, our overview of Dubai laws for tourists covers the wider rules worth knowing. For a sense of the community that built the city, try the Sheikh Rashid Heritage Trail along the Creek.
Conclusion
Arab Hope Makers rewards a particular kind of courage: the patience to keep helping when nobody is watching. If you know someone like that, this is the moment to tell their story. If the stage is not for you, start smaller instead. A registered volunteering shift or a donation to a licensed charity still makes a real difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Arab Hope Makers?
It is a humanitarian award that Sheikh Mohammed launched in 2017. MBRGI runs it from Dubai. It honours people, volunteer groups and non-profit organisations whose unpaid work improves lives.
How much is the Arab Hope Makers prize?
The winner receives Dh1 million, or about $272,000. In each of the last two editions, the two other finalists were also given Dh1 million each.
Can I nominate myself?
Yes. You can nominate yourself or someone else through arabhopemakers.com, as long as the work is voluntary and non-profit.
Where is the Arab Hope Makers ceremony held?
The finale takes place in Dubai. The sixth edition’s ceremony was held at Coca-Cola Arena in February 2026. This edition’s date has not yet been announced.
Do I need to register to volunteer in Dubai?
Yes, volunteering in Dubai is regulated by Law No. 5 of 2018. The simplest route is to register with the CDA’s Dubai Volunteering Center, or to find opportunities on volunteers.ae.
Can I raise money for charity in Dubai?
Not on your own. Fundraising needs written approval from IACAD, and federal law leaves collection to licensed charities. Give through them instead.
Key Takeaways
- Sheikh Mohammed launched the seventh edition of Arab Hope Makers on Sunday 18 October 2026, with a Dh1 million prize.
- Individuals, volunteer groups and non-profits can be nominated, and self-nominations are welcome.
- All entries go through arabhopemakers.com, and the work must be voluntary and non-profit.
- The sixth edition’s finale took place at Coca-Cola Arena in February 2026; this year’s date is still to be confirmed.
- To volunteer in Dubai, register with the CDA or use volunteers.ae.
- Never collect donations privately; give through licensed charities instead.
Useful Links
- Official nomination website (arabhopemakers.com)
- Gulf News: the seventh edition launches with a Dh1 million prize
- Arabian Business: applications open for the $272,000 prize
- Khaleej Times: the sixth edition’s launch
- CDA Dubai Volunteering Center
- volunteers.ae national volunteering platform
- UAE Food Bank
- Dubai Decree No. 9 of 2015 on raising donations
Featured photo: Coca-Cola Arena during the Dubai Shopping Festival closing celebrations, by Ninoksha Maria, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
