Efforts are underway to prepare the “Mohammed bin Rashid Humanitarian Ship,” which aims to deliver over 10 million meals to Gaza. This initiative is part of the UAE’s “Brave Knight 3” campaign, designed to assist the Palestinian people by addressing their urgent needs in the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday morning, the Dubai Exhibition Centre – Expo buzzed with activity as hundreds of volunteers, including citizens, residents, and children, gathered to express their solidarity and support for the residents of Gaza. The atmosphere was filled with the sounds of organization and collaboration, as volunteers worked harmoniously to prepare food parcels for shipment on the humanitarian ship in the coming days. The hall resembled a massive humanitarian workshop, with long tables laden with diverse food items and continuous movement that illustrated the volunteers’ race against time.
Each food parcel is designed to sustain a family of five for an entire week, containing 20 carefully selected food items that ensure a variety of nutritious choices suitable for all age groups. This initiative embodies the UAE’s commitment to humanitarianism and its unwavering support for the Palestinian people, continuing its assistance to those in Gaza.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation announced the launch of the “Mohammed bin Rashid Humanitarian Ship” initiative on November 25, calling on all members of the UAE community to volunteer and participate in preparing meals to alleviate the suffering of those in Gaza during these challenging times.
This new food support is a continuation of the assistance provided by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, which revealed in January 2024 a contribution of 43 million dirhams ($11.7 million) in direct food aid to Gaza, benefiting a million people in collaboration with the World Food Programme. This announcement came as part of a sustained effort to contribute to humanitarian relief.
The UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, had previously directed in 2023 an allocation of 50 million dirhams for urgent humanitarian assistance to Palestinians through the same foundation. In September 2024, the “Dubai Humanitarian” organization delivered an emergency relief shipment to Gaza via the Egyptian port of Al-Arish, which included 71.6 tons of essential medical supplies.
Furthermore, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation pledged an additional 37 million dirhams ($10 million) in January 2024 to bolster the healthcare sector in Gaza, ensuring the provision of necessary medical supplies, especially for children.
Notably, the foundation’s total spending for charitable, humanitarian, and community initiatives reached over 2.2 billion dirhams in 2024, benefiting approximately 149 million people across 118 countries worldwide. This was organized under five main work axes, including humanitarian aid, healthcare, education, future innovation, and community empowerment. Within the humanitarian assistance realm alone, expenditures exceeded 944 million dirhams, impacting more than 37 million individuals globally.