UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed pledges $25 million in aid for East Jerusalem hospital
“Our support for the Palestinian people will continue until this people achieves its ambition to establish its independent state”. With this promise, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, revealed the policies of the United Arab Emirates in support of its brothers in Palestine. These policies were followed by the leaders of the Emirates, up to Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed, the current President of the Emirates, who has provided unprecedented support to the Palestinian people and has been a good supporter of the Palestinian cause humanely, politically and economically.
Jerusalem Support
As part of the ongoing support for the Palestinian people, HH the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed the allocation of $25 million to support Al Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem to expand the scope of its medical services to the brotherly Palestinian people. The UAE support to the Palestinian people comes within the framework of the ongoing efforts of the UAE leadership to support the capacities of Palestinian health institutions and to meet the humanitarian, living, health, social, educational and other requirements of the brotherly Palestinian people. Al Makassed Hospital – founded in 1968 – is one of the most important hospitals in Jerusalem and operates within the East Jerusalem hospital network of 250 beds and specializes in performing heart, bone, pediatric operations, medical research and comprehensive health care.
History of giving
The history of Emirati-Palestinian relations has witnessed continuous support from the leadership of the UAE to support the cause of the Palestinian people. The beginning was a promise and pledge made by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may he rest in peace, at the founding of the UAE in 1971. He said: “Our support for the Palestinian people will continue until this people achieves its ambition to establish its independent state”. The UAE’s approach and its consistent policy have become the firm commitment to support the Palestinian cause to date, which has not been limited to one area, and has included political, economic, health, education and development support. The positions of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, always reflect his belief in supporting the Palestinian cause, within the framework of his vision as a supporter of humanity and a peacemaker.
Economic support
The United Arab Emirates ranks fourth among the ten countries supporting the Palestinian people economically and financially since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994. According to official Palestinian data, and based on data from the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (a quasi-governmental organization), the Emirates has provided $2.1 billion and $104 million in aid to the Palestinian people since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1993.
The aid comes between supporting the Palestinian Authority’s budget and financing infrastructure projects, but this does not include the hundreds of millions of dollars the UAE has provided to the Palestinians through the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the Islamic National Committee for Development and Social Solidarity, or through the UAE Red Crescent.
