TRANSFORMING LIVES

TRANSFORMING LIVES

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017





The definition of giving is not
confined merely to volunteering
or giving or being generous. Real
giving lies in making a difference in
another person’s life, or in the life
of a community, or in the journey
of a nation.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai



GOVERNANCE IMPACT The UAE’s first
medical research
10 Al Jalila Foundation 23 Beneficiaries
13 Message from HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum endowment
14 Message from Dr Raja Easa Saleh Al Gurg Individuals and institutions who will be a sustainable
16 Board of Trustees have benefitted from our programs
17 Board of Directors source of income
18 Princess Haya Award for Special Education 24 Changed Lives
We helped
We are an ‘Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Supporter’ The difference we make through to provide
Education, Research and Treatment
19 The Gift of Giving 1,700,000
34 Projects
Showcasing the most successful examples of ongoing support vaccines
Al Warqa’a Endowment and to mothers
Spreading hope, WE ARE Al Jalila Foundation Research Centre and babies in
health and happiness, SYNCHRONISED 19 countries
36 Grants and Fellowships
every month WITH THE 44 Programs
VISION,
All the ways in which address the
AMBITION AND needs of society
DETERMINATION
48 International Programs
OF THE UAE.
Young man
gets new arm
and new life,
after 15 years

of waiting

CONTENTS

PARTNERSHIPS More than 250
women swim, run
52 Partnered Programs and cycle in Dubai
to raise funds for
58 Signature Events
people of
60 Community Events determination

We hosted more than
170 community events
through the year

ACTION You can
join others
68 Creed
to walk,
Our ongoing mission, vision and goals run, swim,
sew, sell,
71 Participation bake, bike

Join us in our journey in whatever or hike
manner best suits you for a
deserving
72 Donations cause

77 Give the Gift of Life

Local research Counsellors,
programme to focus on educators and social

Vitamin D deficiency workers unite
in adults and children to identify

in the UAE improvements in
Special Education

Needs (SEN)



GOVERNANCE

WELCOME

Al Jalila Foundation is a global philanthropic organisation dedicated to
transforming lives through medical education and research,
The foundation was established in April 2013, by His Highness Sheikh
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of
the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai and the UAE at the forefront
of medical innovation. It is named after Her Highness Sheikha Al Jalila
Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of His Highness
Sheikh Mohammed and Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein,
Chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority.
We promote medical education and research by investing in the UAE’s
medical treatment capabilities, provide scholarships to nurture a home-grown
generation of medical professionals, and support ground-breaking research
that addresses health challenges prevalent in the region.
Our programs are fully funded by the generosity of donors, with 100 percent
of all donated funds invested into medical research, education and treatment
in the UAE.
Al Jalila Foundation is one of 33 member organisations of the Mohammed
Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, each embodying the vision of
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed to improve the Arab world through
humanitarian, developmental and community work.

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

GOVERNANCE 11



PROGRESS
AND PROWESS

2018 marks five years since Al Jalila Foundation was established.

During this relatively brief period, the foundation has achieved so much for all of us in the UAE to be
proud about: funnelling innovative homegrown research, advocating early diagnoses, enabling mobility
and treatment for the underprivileged, educating people and public, and offering care and support across
our society and beyond.

In summary, Al Jalila Foundation has been steady in surpassing achievements especially when measured
in the context of expectations. The 2017 executive report bears testimony to this progress and prowess.

As we move forward, we are fully synchronised with the vision, ambition and determination of the UAE in
making our foundation – and thereby, our nation – the bedrock of medical innovation. Lead by two boards
of highly respected visionaries and philanthropists, we continue to work in tandem and togetherness.

We will emerge as a leading voice for the global community by making a real difference to millions of
lives, and by continuing to inspire hope.

Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Chairperson of the Board of Trustees

SCALE
AND SCOPE

We are fortunate to have so many eminent hospitals and medical facilities, and experienced medical
professionals in the UAE. They enhance the quality of life for some, and provide new life to others
through surgeries, organ transplants, or the application of appropriate devices and prosthetics.

We have diligent researchers and academics whose meticulous work bring us closer to understanding the
causes of diseases, and often, their cures.

We remain grateful to the individuals, groups and organisations who decide to champion a cause, and
then direct their time, energies and resources towards lightening someone else’s burdens.

At Al Jalila Foundation, we bring them all together. Much like the warp and weft threads in a loom that
artisans interweave into the design of a rich tapestry, our cohesive efforts cover all aspects of our motto
- Transforming Lives.

These pages and pictures will speak to you about the scale and scope of all our activities. May they urge
you to take up the baton, alongside us.

Dr Raja Easa Saleh Al Gurg
Chairperson of the Board of Directors
Member of the Board of Trustees



HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor
Chairperson Vice Chairperson

Dr Raja Easa Saleh Al Gurg Abdul Hameed Ahmed Seddiqi Abdul Ghaffar Hussein Hussein Abdul Rahman Khansaheb
Member Member Member Member

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

Dr Raja Easa Saleh Al Gurg Essam Al Tamimi
Chairperson Member

Abdul Rahman Al Sharif Professor Sehamuddin Galadari Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama
Member Member Member

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

GOVERNANCE 17

In April, we won the Princess Haya Award for Special Education in the
category of ‘Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Supporter’.

The award was conferred by HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife
of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President
and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, at a ceremony
held at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

The Princess Haya Award for Special Education was established in
2008 to promote creativity, excellence and specialist expertise in the
special needs sector. The award aims to encourage the adoption of
international best practices in educating and rehabilitating people
with special needs, and programs that provide them practical and
beneficial results. The award’s focus area is creating environments
that promote the development of qualified professionals who can
provide quality services to those in need.

Now in its sixth cycle, the 2017 edition of the award received 119
entries, of which 97 were from the UAE and the rest from Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Palestine, Jordan, India, Pakistan and
Switzerland.

O U T S TA N D I N G
SUPPORT

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

THE GIFT OF GIVING

In September, we launched the first issue of our newsletter, which has since become a monthly publication.
Hadeyat Al Ata’a, which translates from the Arabic as ‘the gift of giving’, is an homage to the UAE’s philanthropic spirit, and showcases our collective efforts to serve humanity.
Our success depends on the support we receive from donors, partners and local communities. In our newsletter, we showcase some of the best and the most successful examples of this
ongoing support as ideas get implemented into action. There are stories of young patients, aspiring medical students and pioneering scientists; pictures of events and activities held across
the country for deserving causes; and first-person accounts of how third parties have brought change to their lives.
Each month, in every little way, Hadeyat Al Ata’a aims to spread hope, health and happiness.

2017 2017

SEP OCT

Spreading hope, 2017
health and happiness,
NOV
every month
2017

DEC

GOVERNANCE 19



IMPACT

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

BENEFICIARIES

TREATMENT A'Awen Farah Omniyat Dania UNICEF UNICEF
Vaccine Program Wash Program
161 92 24
1.7m 5,625
patients in UAE children with chronic children with cancer
Sponsored for illness received and chronic illness vaccines in families in
medical treatment life-saving medical sponsored for medical
treatment treatment 19 35

EDUCATION Postgraduate Undergraduate Ta’alouf countries countries
Scholarships Scholarships Parents Training Treated for Provided with clean
maternal and drinking water and
23 17 500 neonatal tetanus sanitation

Emiratis at UAE Emiratis at MBRU parents graduated Ta’alouf The Carter
universities Awarded doctoral from across the UAE Teachers Training Centre
Awarded student scholarships
scholarships 206 2

teachers Rosalynn Carter
graduated from Fellowships
Awarded to journalists
72 in the UAE

Schools across
the UAE

RESEARCH Research Research AED18M
Seed Grants Fellowships
investment in
21 4 programs

research grants in Emirati Fellowships Individuals and institutions who have benefitted from our programs in 2017
the UAE Conferred on Granted at
winning submissions international IMPACT 23
institutions

CHANGE LIVES

All activities undertaken by Al Jalila Foundation fall under one of our three
pillars: Education, Research and Treatment.
Throughout 2017, we were humbled and fulfilled in equal measure to be
able to make a difference to families and communities, in one or more of the
three focus areas.
These success stories illustrate the scope and extent of our programs: some
are marked by small but important measures of happiness, while others are
of larger significance to science and society.

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

IMPACT 25

A nine-month old baby’s life is saved through a five-hour heart surgery funded by A’awen

A heart-warming tale

When Mohammad Abdullah Assad Esmail was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease called Tetralogy of Fallot, a condition characterised by four defects in his heart, his parents Abdullah
Assad Esmail and Khadija Al Juniadi did not know where to turn, or to whom. Since the age of four months, their baby had been gasping for breath because of frequent cyanotic spells which
also caused a bluish discolouration. In addition, his heart had a pulmonary stenosis where the exit point from his right ventricle was narrowed, hampering the circulation of deoxygenated blood.
At nine months, Mohammad weighed a mere 8.4 kgs.

The challenging surgery was carried out in August by an expert medical team, with a funding of approximately AED 100,000 from our A’awen program. This donation, which covered all
expenses of the operation including the costs of follow up visits and medication, offered a new life for the baby – and a lifeline for his parents. In the grateful father’s words, “As a truck driver,
I simply would not have been able to pay for all these costs.”

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

Triple the

understanding

“Despite all the problems we face, we love them
so very much. They are special children, but we
are special parents, too,” says Sultan Siddique
Ali, as he describes how his family has benefitted
from our Ta’alouf Parents Training program.

The father of three teenage boys born with
autism explains how his family has felt socially
isolated and ostracised for years, fending
off strange looks and battling several day-
to-day issues. “Attending the program was
an extraordinary experience. The trainers
understood exactly what we were undergoing,
and they provided very helpful course materials.
There was also the supportive atmosphere that
came from meeting other parents with the same
type of challenges,” he says.

“Ta’alouf has been life changing for our children,
and for my wife and me, and we earnestly urge
other parents to find similar support.”

Father of three autistic children says Ta’alouf training changed everyone’s lives
IMPACT 27

For the good of

others

In a mere 12 months after its launch, three teams
signed up for our Mount Kilimanjaro Charity
Climb as part of volunteering and fundraising
for our iMcan program. The motivated teams
comprised 40 individuals from 14 nationalities
residing in the UAE.

The climb to the summit of the highest mountain
in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain
in the world is no small undertaking and requires
participants to have very high levels of physical,
social and psychological fitness. As an act of
charity and generosity, it is considered one of
the hardest. Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Executive
Director of Dubai Science Park, who joined one
of our three teams, explains: “Kilimanjaro had
been on my bucket list for a long time and I was
happy to use the challenge to raise funds for a
noble cause.”

In addition to raising funds to provide mobility
through prosthetics, climbers also hope to
inspire amputees to break boundaries and
achieve great heights, regardless of how they
move around in life.

40 residents of 14 nationalities climb Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the disabled
EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

Local research makes big breakthrough in medical world

New cells for old

One of our research grant recipients, Dr Nicolas Christoforou, until recently an assistant professor at Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa University, has developed a new source of cardiac tissue by
reprogramming skin cells to behave like those of heart muscles.

Reprogramming one cell type into another is known as transdifferentiation, and although it is still in its infancy, it is predicted to expand significantly over the next few years. Thereby, this
ground-breaking research can prove to be of immense value to medicine, as the tissue can be used to repair hearts that have suffered damage during cardiac arrests. It is also of much interest
to other researchers across the world who are trying to find ways to produce heart tissue in laboratories.

“We believe this project is extremely significant both for basic science as well as for future therapeutic applications,” says Dr. Christoforou. The impact of this approach in medical applications
is huge as it will allow the formation of cells in the laboratory in an efficient manner.”

IMPACT 29

UAE Carter Fellow vows to reduce shame and stigma associated with mental health

Social causes start at home

Every year, we work in partnership with the Carter Center to select local journalists who can help bring greater awareness of mental health issues and end discrimination against those who
are afflicted or affected by it.

Nahid Alawani Alnaqbi, Senior Reporter at Al Bayan Newspaper, one of two current recipients of the UAE Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism for 2017-2018, says she is
committed to help shed light on the topic, because a strong mental health care model will have a significant impact on the environment in which such care is provided. “In the UAE, treatment is
often offered at the clinical level with little community participation,” she says. “We can work together to change our attitudes towards mental health, both institutionally and in the community.

Alnaqbi’s project aims to explore why the treatment of mental illnesses remains shrouded in fear and misconception in the UAE, and how to reduce mental health stigma. “As a journalist and
as an Emirati citizen, my goal is to help create an environment where everyone can get the care they need without fear.”

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

New limb, new life

When he was a mere 11 years old, Mohammed
was involved in a devastating car accident which
resulted in the amputation of his right arm. As
an active young man who had enjoyed playing a
variety of sports, the loss of his arm came as a
painful blow, and it also led to growing despair
and loss of confidence.

Finally, when he turned 26, Mohammed
underwent surgery at the German Limbtech
Orthopaedic Technology Clinic where he received
a specialist prosthetic arm with an electronic
function specifically designed for him. All costs
associated with the surgery, prosthetic arm,
and recovery were funded through our iMcan
program.

An overjoyed Mohammed continues to express
his happiness. “My dream for the last 15
years has finally come true,” he says. “Al Jalila
Foundation treated me like family, and my words
of gratitude will never be enough to thank all of
them for their never-ending support.”

iMcan helps young man gets new arm and new life, after 15 years of waiting
IMPACT 31

The very first word

Miracle child Mohammed was born after 12
years of marriage, but his premature birth at 24
weeks marred his parents great joy as the baby
continued to be incubated for the first three
months of his life.

When the baby did not respond to auditory
stimuli, there were more dark clouds on the
horizon. For the next four years, the hapless
parents ran from pillar to post trying to get
suitable hearing aids for their only child, only to
be disappointed each time. And when they finally
found out that the best course of treatment was
a cochlear implant, they realised it exceeded
their financial capacity.

Funded by our A’awen program, Mohammed
successfully underwent surgery for a cochlear
implant in November, and after four years of
silence, he finally said his first words. “I cannot
describe how happy I was when I heard him
speak that word aloud,” said his relived and
ecstatic mother. “I have waited for so long just to
hear my son call me ‘mother’.”

Cochlear implant funded by A’awen allows a child call out to his mother, for the first time
EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

72 Educators from 16 Schools Graduate from Ta’alouf Training

Empowering children of determination

In November, the Ta’alouf Graduation for Teachers 2017 saw dozens of faculty members from schools across the UAE get certified for completing their professional training course. Ta’alouf,
which means harmony in Arabic, works in unison with educators, parents, and the wider community to empower children of determination, and encourage them to rise above disabilities to
discover their hidden abilities. A total of 72 teachers and principals of 18 nationalities from 16 schools in the country successfully underwent Ta’alouf Teachers training during 2017.

Kefah Samara, Head of Special Educational Needs Disability Department at Dubai’s Greenwood International School said that the pioneering concept has resulted in her school becoming a
lot more inclusive, and its educators more qualified. “We now have the keys to understand these children’s needs and capabilities,” she said. “I return continuously to the information from the
course and use the knowledge to win the children’s attention and engage them.

“The real goal we must aim for is complete inclusiveness in all areas of life, and not just the classroom.”

IMPACT 33

PROJECTS

Research Centre

Fully funded by Al Jalila Foundation, our AED 200
million not-for-profit Research Centre is designed
to be a biomedical institute that will ensure
seamless collaboration between the academic,
healthcare and scientific communities.

The UAE’s first independent multi-disciplinary
medical research centre will bring together local
and international scientists to work together
to find solutions for the region’s biggest health
challenges: cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
obesity and mental health. The Al Jalila Foundation
Research Centre will also collaborate with renowned
institutions around the world to foster international
scientific collaborations, nurture home-grown
biomedical researchers, and introduce best practices
in the region. Distinguished by a diamond patterned
facade, the building is strategically located in the
heart of Dubai Healthcare City, adjacent to three
Mohammed Bin Rashid institutions — Academic
Medical Centre, University for Medicine and Health
Sciences and University Hospital.

Considerable progress has been made on site, with
the opening scheduled for 2018.

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

The UAE’s first
medical research

endowment
will be a sustainable

source of income

Endowment

In our efforts to create new and innovative financial
models, the Al Jalila Foundation is developing
an AED 32 million residential complex that will
generate revenues to fund local research. The total
value of the development has been divided into
32,000 shares valued at AED 1,000 each and is
expected to generate annual returns of 12 percent.

Currently referred to as The Al Warqa’a Endowment,
after its location in the Al Warqa’a neighbourhood,
the project is being developed on land granted by
the Dubai Government. The six-floor apartment
building will have 60 one and two-bedroom
apartments, and several retail outlets and amenities
on the ground floor. The UAE’s first medical
research endowment will serve as a sustainable
source of income and give donors the opportunity
to participate in a national philanthropic project.

We look forward to welcoming the first set of
residents in 2018.

IMPACT 35

GRANTS AND
FELLOWSHIPS

Unravelling the 111 100% 5
mysteries of diseases INCREASE
affecting mankind SUBMISSIONS PRIORITIES
Number of applications since
Number of applications submitted in inception. Grants were given for research
2017. projects in cancer, cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, obesity and mental
health.

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

120 4 6AED 21

EXPERTS FELLOWSHIPS MILLION PROJECTS

International peer reviewers from The Fellowship awarded include 1 Awarded in seed grants for 2017. The projects selected in 2017 include
the world's most renowned medical student research Elective and three 9 basic, 7 translational and 5 clinical
institutions. Medical Research Training. research projects.

IMPACT 37

GRANTS AND
FELLOWSHIPS

7 14 1 1 3 1

Canada UK Sweden Romania Lebanon Syria

4 3 1

USA Ireland Belgium

Grant recipients by nationalities 1 1

France China

1 9 5 1

Spain UAE India Malaysia

1 2 1

Morocco Saudi Arabia Australia

1 2

Greece Singapore

12 7

Egypt Jordan

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

IMPACT 39

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017





IMPACT 43

PROGRAMS

A’awen Ana Asma'a Brest Friends

A’awen, which means support in Arabic, is our financial aid Ana Asma’a, ‘I hear’ in Arabic, provides children in the Established in 2005 by Dr. Houriya Kazim, Brest Friends
program to benefit patients residing in the UAE who are UAE suffering from severe hearing loss with cutting edge aims to increasing awareness of breast cancer in the
unable to pay for quality healthcare. We work directly with cochlear implants to restore hearing. The implant is far UAE and offer support to patients. Since 2015, we have
healthcare partners on specific treatments that address superior to a hearing aid and provides a lasting solution partnered with the group to promote early detection,
individual patient needs. that improves the child’s quality of life. facilitate medical treatment and fund local research into
the epidemiology of breast cancer.

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

Destination Medicine Summit Farah iMcan

Our program for Emirati students is designed to inspire Farah, Arabic for happiness, is our specialised paediatric Arabic for mobility, iMcan is dedicated to changing the
them to pursue careers in medicine and medical research. program which provides treatment and research to benefit lives of amputees, by providing them with prostheses.
At an annual event, we work with healthcare professionals children suffering from heart disease, cancer and other This program also aims to lessen the shame and stigma
and institutions to provide them with learning workshops, chronic diseases, so that they can live healthy and happy associated with disabilities, and to inspire recovering
edutainment activities and study opportunities. lives. patients to live life without limitations.

IMPACT 45

PROGRAMS

Omniyat Dania Scholarships Harvard Medical School
We continue to sponsor an annual research scholarship at
Established by Dana Al Askari and Hasan Alami in memory All our scholarships focus on building capacity, continuity Harvard Medical School for the 2-year Master of Medical
of their child, Dania who lost her fight to cancer in 2010, and sustainability by investing in the next generation of Sciences in Global Health Delivery (MMSc. GHD), where
the group supports children who live with cancer. We work medical talent who will help change lives by enhancing the first year is US-based and, the second UAE-based.
with them to invest in medical treatment and research for treatment for the UAE population.
childhood cancer in the UAE.
Mohammed Bin Rashid University (MBRU)
During 2017, we awarded 17 undergraduate scholarships
at MBRU. We have also partnered with the university to
establish two new scholarship programs for the academic
year 2018-19, for their Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of
Surgery (MBBS) program.

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

Ta’alouf Parents Training Teachers Training
Sponsored by us and delivered by the British University in Endorsed by the Ministry of Education and the Knowledge
Ta’alouf, which means harmony in Arabic, aims to empower Dubai, the 5-week program equips parents and guardians and Human Development Authority, and delivered by
children of determination by bolstering the UAE’s medical with life-changing skills that enable them to better manage ?A}NL4cWzNpqWt}LJeupSu``qmecqepNLmpeUpAbSeptNAJVNpq
treatment, education and research capabilities through their children’s disorders. The bilingual program is open to and principals is designed around best practices of
two distinct initiatives residents of all nationalities living in the UAE. inclusive education and individual learning needs. The
program is open to educators in government and private
schools across the UAE.

IMPACT 47

I N T E R N AT I O N A L
PROGRAMS

UNICEF Senteble The Little Wings Foundation

In 2015, we signed a partnership with the UNICEF’s Gulf Sentebale, which means forget-me-not in Sesotho, is a The Little Wings Foundation was founded in 2007 by
Area Office (GAO) to act as the international organisation’s charity founded by Britain’s Prince Harry and Lesotho’s orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Marc Sinclair, to provide medical
umbrella local partner for the activation of fruitful alliances Prince Seeiso, that works with local partners to deliver care, assistance to children with musculoskeletal deformities in
that result in effective recovery costs for corporate partners, health and education to the most vulnerable children in the the Middle East and North Africa. Volunteers devote their
and more income to benefit children. Kingdom of Lesotho. expertise and time to give back to children the freedom
they have lost because of physical, economic and perceived
WASH: UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) As part of our international outreach efforts we have social barriers.
team works in over 100 countries worldwide to improve partnered with Sentebale to support children’s health in
water and sanitation services, as well as basic hygiene Lesotho. We helped build the Mamohato Children’s Centre Since 2018, we have partnered with the foundation to
practices. for vulnerable children, including orphans living with HIV provide treatment for children with congenital or acquired
and other disabilities, to ensure that they lead healthy and limb deformities, and to help them overcome their daily
Vaccines: UNICEF helps provide maternal and neonatal productive lives struggles by creating equal opportunities.
tetanus vaccines to mothers and babies around the world.

EXECUTIVE REPORT 2017

IMPACT 49