Page 35 - AAE GENERAL REPORT - March 2024

Spending under the Innovation & Entrepreneurship pillar in 2023 amounted to
AED 138 million, up AED 10 million from 2022, and benefited 1.2 million people.

Projects under this pillar aim to cement the status and the UAE as destinations
that keep up with accelerated digital transformation and help communities make
the necessary change needed for a better, sustainable future.

Achievements included the 1st Great Arab Minds edition announced its first-ever
winner in a bid to support scientific and knowledge innovations in the Arab World.
Additionally, MBRGI partnered with the World Economic Forum to launch the
Food Innovation Hub UAE; an initiative aims to accelerate and expand the scope
of innovations and technologies that support sustainable food systems
transformation.

Other achievements in 2023 included the launch of the revamped Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award, and the 4th Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum Global Water Award.

The backbone of several MBRGI projects and initiatives, the Empowering
Communities pillar benefited 3.4 million people during 2023, compared to 2.3
million beneficiaries in 2022, with total spending amounting to AED 87.2 million.

Projects under this pillar included further efforts by the Mohammed bin Rashid
School of Government, which graduated 5,967 people from its different
programmes in 2023, launch of the Dubai Family Business Management
Programme by the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development,
the 4th edition of the Arab Hope Makers initiative with received more than 14,000
applications within 3 weeks of its launch, and the 21st Arab Media Forum, which
attracted 3,000 participants including ministers, influential media personalities,
heads of leading media organisations, as well as thought leaders, intellectuals
and writers.

https://wam.ae/article/b2ddwra-mohammed-bin-rashid-chairs-mbrgi-board-trustees