UAE Urges Private Sector and Philanthropy to Unite and Close Record Global Aid Deficit

The UAE is actively working to overcome severe humanitarian funding shortfalls by channeling private capital toward critical global needs, according to a high-ranking Emirati official speaking to The National.

During an interview at the UAE mission on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Badr Jafar, the UAE's Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy, emphasized that his nation is uniting investors, donors, and governments to address the crisis. "When the world talks about development, business and philanthropy must be in the room," Mr Jafar stated, noting that official aid plummeted by nearly a quarter last year in the largest drop on record, while private capital searching for impactful opportunities has never been higher.

Amid rising global demands driven by conflicts and climate disasters, official development assistance from OECD donor countries dropped by 23 percent, with humanitarian aid suffering an even steeper decline of 36 percent. In contrast, the UAE stood out among non-traditional Western donors by increasing its aid allocations in 2025 to support regional crises in Gaza and the West Bank.

Mr Jafar explained that the UAE is providing a collaborative platform to align philanthropic efforts and commercial investments. At the UNGA sessions, the nation convened business leaders, investors, and foundations to focus on artificial intelligence and water security—two core pillars of its foreign policy. Prior to discussions, a partnership was formed between the Emirates Foundation and the Responsible AI Foundation to utilize technology for global benefit during a specialized meeting on inclusive growth hosted at the UAE's UN mission.

Emphasizing a results-driven philosophy, Mr Jafar noted that the initiatives focus on actionable projects with assigned ownership and timelines rather than mere declarations. Reflecting on UAE diplomacy, he summarized the nation's strategy as connection, fostering vital dialogues and uniting governments, businesses, and philanthropy at a single table in a fragmented world.