Sarah Shaw, the CEO of the National Social Responsibility Fund “Mujra,” highlighted some of the significant achievements of the fund since its establishment in 2018. Among these are four key initiatives that have made a tangible impact on social responsibility and sustainability in the UAE.
Shaw explained that the fund serves as a bridge connecting companies interested in launching social initiatives with non-profit organizations seeking support, as well as government entities that set national priorities. It also collaborates with third and fourth sector stakeholders and academic institutions that evaluate projects.
Shaw emphasized that financial backing for projects does not come directly from the fund but from strong relationships with private companies. In return, these companies gain access to dialogues and policy formulation opportunities, enhancing cooperation between the public and private sectors.
Regarding the “Institutional Impact Declaration,” Shaw confirmed that it is an annual commitment made by companies detailing their community projects. Currently, 300 companies have submitted declarations for 2025.
As for the four main initiatives of the fund, Shaw stated that the first is the launch of the “Social Impact Medal,” which represents the highest recognition awarded by the UAE government to private companies in social responsibility and sustainability.
The inaugural edition of the medal was held in 2022, and winners were honored in 2023 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, ruler of Dubai. The medal serves as a crucial incentive for companies to adopt responsible practices and sustainable initiatives that have a real impact on society.
Secondly, the fund focuses on supporting projects with national priority, emphasizing those that genuinely contribute to critical areas such as:
health, education, environment, culture, and heritage. At the beginning of 2024, the fund launched the Sustainable Impact Challenge, aimed at assessing the number and quality of impactful projects within the country while ensuring that initiatives are based on sound scientific approaches and provide trustworthy reports.
Thirdly, the “Mujra Port” initiative was established to empower projects. The fund initiated this service as an advanced empowerment phase, targeting the top 20 projects ranked in the Sustainable Impact Challenge.
The initiative focuses on enhancing project propositions for investors, developing strategies, adjusting business plans, feasibility studies, and bridging the gap between ideas and their execution.
Shaw likened “Mujra Port” to a harbor where ships dock for repairs and preparations before resuming their journeys, illustrating what the fund does for promising projects.
The fund offers training sessions and guidance to companies for developing their social responsibility strategies while building sustainable projects grounded in scientific principles that cater to targeted groups.
It has been observed that companies often concentrate on just two main areas, “environment” and “education,” due to their relative ease of engagement, while other equally important areas, such as culture, heritage, and health, remain neglected. She cited the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation, which focuses on empowering university youth through training and employment.
Fourthly, Mujra serves as a comprehensive national umbrella, according to Shaw, indicating that the fund’s main role is to act as a national platform uniting companies and institutions eager to implement impactful initiatives.
Shaw clarified that Mujra does not include any clauses for directly financing projects; instead, its true role lies in cataloging contributions, raising awareness among companies on social responsibility, incentivizing them, and connecting projects with private sector funds on a unified platform.
Looking ahead, new funding mechanisms for priority national projects will emerge in collaboration between the government, private sector, and third sector entities. She indicated that a new approach to social responsibility has been announced, emphasizing effective partnerships between the government and private sector as part of the “UAE Companies for Good 2031” strategy, serving as a comprehensive national framework to boost private sector contributions to sustainable development and guide efforts in social responsibility toward common good within an integrated sustainable impact economy in the UAE.
Shaw added that this strategy is based on the “Strategic Compass Approach,” which represents a cohesive federal framework directing the course of social responsibility and sustainability in the private sector.
This approach promotes sustainable long-term planning, strengthens corporate governance systems, fosters integration among government entities, companies, the third sector, and social entrepreneurs (fourth sector), in addition to empowering companies to enhance their capabilities and adopt clear and transparent methodologies in social responsibility and impact measurement.