Dubai and Abu Dhabi residents welcome major humanitarian step as UAE joins international coalition to secure quality education for vulnerable children.
ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates has announced a new USD 5 million pledge to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, targeting systemic global barriers to primary and secondary schooling for marginalized children.
The contribution was formalized at a multilateral summit in New York, positioning the UAE as a central donor alongside international governments including Canada, Portugal, and corporate entities such as Fox Corporation. The funding arrives as the international community races to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals amid a steep contraction in global foreign education aid.
Administered as a joint venture between football’s governing body FIFA and the international advocacy group Global Citizen, the fund leverages the global popularity of football to drive grassroots educational grants. A significant portion of the UAE’s funding will directly reinforce local civil society groups delivering protective education, digital literacy, and youth leadership workshops across underserved areas in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Through this latest allocation, the UAE continues to consolidate its position as one of the world’s most proactive contributors to official development assistance relative to gross national income. The fund’s overarching target is to secure USD 100 million in sovereign and corporate pledges to close critical funding gaps.
