Khaleej Times

Help deprived kids learn as you travel via Dubai Airports

- Sherouk Zakaria sherouk@khaleejtim­es.com

dubai — Travellers passing through the Dubai Airports can now donate to help provide education to underprivi­leged children. The Dubai Cares has extended its partnershi­p with the Dubai Airports, with an aim to raise Dh1.3 million this year to fund education costs of children in countries affected by conflict or natural disasters.

In addition to the 80 donation boxes at the two terminals in Dubai, 120 more boxes will be placed at all concourses of the Sheikh Rashid terminal and Al Maktoum Internatio­nal Airport to allow for more donations, Tariq Al Gurg, CEO of Dubai Cares, said.

The Dubai Airports has also launched a donation webpage accessible from www.dubaiairpo­rts. ae and the WiFi landing page at Dubai Internatio­nal that sees about 200,000 connection­s a day.

Since the Dubai Airports started supporting the cause in 2010, Dh3.5 million has been raised, Al Gurg said.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said: “With over 90 million customers visiting our airports this year, we are confident that we can make an even bigger impact. Last year we collected over Dh640,000 in support of the Dubai Cares. Our goal this year is to double that contributi­on and support thousands of children who have no access to quality education.”

There are 263 million underprivi­leged children with no access

Every dirham counts. We have seen people donate coins as small as 50 fils but also amounts as big as Dh390,000. And all of them counted.” Tariq Al Gurg, CEO of Dubai Airports

to education around the world. Out of the 16.5 million refugees around the world, more than half are children. Funds raised from donation boxes will go to the Dubai Cares’ Education in Emergencie­s.

Al Gurg urged residents to donate any amounts they can. He said the biggest donation these boxes have seen is Dh390,000 from one passenger last year. “Every dirham counts. Education is the most expensive developmen­t humanitari­an programme. We have seen people donate coins as small as 50 fils but also amounts as big as Dh390,000. And all of them counted.”

Al Gurg added that over the next 10 years, the Dubai Cares will dedicate attention to providing secondary programmes and looking beyond school education.

 ??  ?? Tariq Al Gurg and Paul Griffiths during the partnershi­p extension between Dubai Cares and Dubai Airports. The partnershi­p aims to raise Dh1.3 million to fund education costs of underprivi­leged kids.
Tariq Al Gurg and Paul Griffiths during the partnershi­p extension between Dubai Cares and Dubai Airports. The partnershi­p aims to raise Dh1.3 million to fund education costs of underprivi­leged kids.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Arab Emirates