Dubai Starts Work on World's First Charity Park

Dubai Municipality said it has begun work on Charity Oasis, the first community charity park in the emirate being built at a cost of Dh10 million ($2.27 million) in co-ordination with the Mohammed bin Rashid International Centre for Endowment Consultancy.

It will be set up using the innovative methodology based on 'collective outsourcing', a concept that has been successfully used in many economic projects where members of the community contribute small shares, said a statement from the top civic body.

For the first time, there will be community participation in the establishment of a new park through the donation of palm trees from their homes and farms, as a charitable donation in the name of the UAE community, and the returns from the park will be distributed to the needy, it stated.

Hussain Nasser Lootah, the director-general of Dubai Municipality, said: "Everyone knows that Dubai is a leader in innovation in various fields. Today, we announce one of its innovations in the field of charity, in line with the #Year of Giving, declared by President HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Year of Giving strategy announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai."

"It will be the first charity park in the world and will be a sustainable endowment in the name of the UAE community and a witness to the charity activities deep routed in the UAE," remarked Lootah.

Dr Hamad Al Hammadi, the secretary-general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre, said, "The Charity Park in Dubai is a first-of-its-kind in the world in style and idea, and will be a milestone that confirms that the UAE is a society that adopts charity in all areas," he added.

Source: Trade Arabia