At Dubai Holding, we are committed to supporting local communities through targeted philanthropy. Together with the government, entrepreneurs and communities we innovate for positive social and environmental change.
Our philanthropy aims to create sustainable communities by promoting responsible consumption and production practices. We do this through raising awareness on sustainable practices, collaborating on research and strategic partnerships, and supporting local enterprise development and innovation.
Innovate for Tomorrow Challenge (2024)
Dubai Holding has announced the winner and runner-up of its ‘Innovate for Tomorrow’ Challenge, which attracted 150 submissions from 31 countries. The challenge showcased future-focused solutions addressing critical sustainability issues in alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12, 'Responsible Consumption and Production'.
Frank Cato Lahti from Othalo, Norway, secured first place with his innovative 'Upcycling Plastic into Homes' solution. Rana Hajirasouli from The Surpluss, UAE, was named runner-up for her 'Transforming Excess into Equal Access' initiative. Additionally, three other scale-up company finalists—Manhat, UAE; Mi Terro, USA; and Midori, UAE—were recognised.
The awards were presented during a Pitch and Award Ceremony at the Museum of the Future, where the five finalists showcased their scalable solutions to a distinguished judging panel. The winner, Frank Cato Lahti will implement his solution through a pilot programme with Dubai Holding, guided by the Group’s top experts. Both the winner and the runner-up have been granted one-year access to TECOM Group’s in5 business incubator, the challenge’s execution partner. All five finalists will benefit from Dubai Holding’s extensive support network and have the opportunity to pitch their innovations to a group of investors, providing a platform to elevate their ideas to the next level.
Dubai Holding remains committed to supporting the UAE’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. By fostering a culture of innovation and sustainability, the 'Innovate for Tomorrow' Challenge underscores the importance of implementing solutions that drive significant impact and promote a circular economy.
You can watch the highlights of the Pitch and Award Ceremony here and listen to testimonials from the winner and runner-up.
Gift It Forward – A Ramadan Initiative
Dubai Holding launched the Gift It Forward Ramadan campaign in partnership with the Community Development Authority, Azadea and Apparel Group. Over 123,000 new, unused items, including clothing, homeware and accessories, were thoughtfully transformed into unique gift bags and distributed to over 10,500 low-income beneficiaries. By ensuring these products did not go to waste, the campaign highlighted the importance of circularity and sustainable use of resources. The initiative also saw over 300 volunteers from Dubai Holding and its partners actively participate, demonstrating a collective commitment to give back to the community and support sustainable practices.
You can learn more about the impact of the campaign here.
Climate Conversations (2023)
In the lead up to COP28, we reached almost 387,000 listeners through Climate Conversations in partnership with Dubai Eye radio. The main objective of the campaign was to promote public awareness and understanding of climate change, emphasising the urgency, while encouraging sustainable consumer choices and supporting local businesses for environmental benefits.
You can listen to the conversations here.
