The Dubai ruler said he aims to improve people’s lives…

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai met seven-year-old, Mahina Ghaniva at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) Annual Report at Dubai Opera on Tuesday May 28.

Mahina Ghaniva, who is from Tajikistan, was born with a congenital heart disease called Tetralogy of Fallot. When she was only five years old, the MBRGI provided her with UAE doctors in order to undergo an 8-hour life-changing surgery in October 2017, which successfully rectified the four defects on her heart.

Almost two years later, Ghaniva had the opportunity to thank Sheikh Mohammed personally as they shared a moment of embrace. She is one of 70 million people from 86 countries who have benefited from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives.

The brave girl took to the stage to speak about her journey saying, “I want to thank Sheikh Mohammed and his foundation for helping me. I am feeling better now and I am very happy.”

The 2018 report revealed that the initiative’s expenditure on humanitarian aid and relief totalled Dhs271 million, aiding 3.2 million individuals, as well as Dhs628 million on education which benefited 41.1 million people. An additional Dhs313 million was spent on health care and disease-control, helping 13.1 million people.

“We seek to create new hope for our region, improve people’s lives and share the UAE’s message of giving with the world. I thank my team who devoted themselves to serving humanity. I am proud of them and their achievements in humanitarian work. I am equally proud of the competitive spirit among our humanitarian entities to do good,” Sheikh Mohammed said at the event.

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Images: Dubai Media Office