Sheikh Mohammed’s Dh1 Million ‘Hope Makers’ Award Inspires Arab World

Arab world has started looking for remarkable people who spend their lives helping others. His Highness Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dubai ruler and Vice President of the UAE, leads the way to find the next generation of humanitarian leaders.

The ‘Hope Makers’ initiative’s fifth edition comes with a grand prize of Dh1 million. Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced this largest Arab region initiative that celebrates people who create positive change in their communities selflessly.

Sheik Mohammed’s Vision for Regional Hope

Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Hope Makers initiative reaches way beyond the reach and influence of just recognizing humanitarian efforts. The program started in 2017 under the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. It represents a detailed strategy to curb despair and negativity in the Arab world.

“While some sow despair and frustration in our region, we cultivate hope and champion optimism,” declared the Dubai ruler, highlighting his steadfast dedication to encouraging positive change. The initiative has shown remarkable success with over 300,000 nominations in its first four editions.

Hope Makers creates significant effects in several areas:

• Supporting humanitarian and relief programs
• Developing community initiatives
• Highlighting inspiring stories of unsung heroes
• Encouraging optimism across the region

Sheik Mohammed wants Arab youth to shape their future actively while fighting pessimism through this initiative. The program has become a powerful platform that identifies and supports people who dedicate their lives to creating hope in their communities and spreading goodness in their countries.

Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, emphasized the initiative’s ground approach: “This initiative is a realistic call to combat despair and negativity by focusing on the positive within our Arab communities”. The program targets initiatives that reduce suffering among the sick, needy, orphaned, and unemployed. This shows its integrated approach to community development.

Evolution of Hope Makers Initiative

The Hope Makers initiative has showed remarkable growth and changed lives across the Arab region since 2017. The program’s first edition drew over 65,000 nominations, and this was a big deal as it means that the original target of 20,000 submissions was surpassed. This soaring win laid the foundations for future editions, and participation grew substantially each year.

Here’s how the initiative expanded over time:

• Second edition: 87,000 nominations
• Third edition: 92,000 nominations from 38 countries
• Fourth edition: Continued growth with strong participation

The selection process now works through a detailed system that spots real change-makers through multiple evaluation stages and field visits. Teams assess how these social humanitarian initiatives affect communities before choosing five finalists. Each finalist receives Dh1 million to support their work.

The program celebrates humanitarian projects that tackle different community challenges. Previous winners have built kidney dialysis centers in Africa. They’ve provided medical help in Gaza and created support systems for terminally ill children.

The Hope Makers initiative has become a force for positive change with its practical approach. More than 244,000 nominations have come in since its launch. These numbers show its success in finding and backing people and organizations that improve lives across the Arab world without wanting recognition or financial rewards.

Participation and Selection Process

Anyone can submit nominations for the Hope Makers initiative through arabhopemakers.com. You can nominate yourself or recommend someone else who deserves recognition. The initiative looks for candidates who meet these requirements:

• Arab individuals, volunteering groups, or non-profit organizations worldwide
• Original and innovative projects that make a real difference in communities
• Voluntary work without seeking financial gains
• Eco-friendly and flexible initiatives
• Proven history of humanitarian activism

The selection follows a careful step-by-step process. Expert committees review all submissions thoroughly. They check documents and make field visits to verify each application. The third edition saw 92,000 entries from around the world. This number grew from 87,000 in 2018 and 65,000 in the first edition in 2017.

Nominees go through several rounds before the list narrows down to 20 semi-finalists. The main committee gives priority to innovative campaigns that tackle community challenges. Each project’s long-term viability and potential to work in other communities gets careful consideration.

The final stage ends in Dubai. Five finalists share their inspiring stories with thousands of people in attendance. The winning Hope Maker gets AED 1 million to support their humanitarian work and grow their projects. These stories spread across social media channels and show others how positive change can transform communities.

Hope Makers shows the life-changing effects of humanitarian work in the Arab world. What started with 65,000 nominations has now grown into a movement that inspires over 300,000 people to create positive change. Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision has built a platform that recognizes selfless work and helps expand its reach.

The program excels at finding real change-makers who work hard without seeking the spotlight. These Hope Makers come from different backgrounds – from healthcare providers in remote areas to those who promote orphaned children’s welfare. Their work proves that positive change has no limits. Their stories remind us that individual actions can revolutionize communities when properly supported.

The fifth edition will discover more hidden heroes and support their causes with the Dh1 million prize. This initiative continues to show that hope thrives in the Arab world. It lives through dedicated people who choose action over despair, service over recognition, and put their community’s welfare before personal gain.