Roads & Transport Authority - News Details

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Centre for Endowment Consultancy (MBRGCEC), an affiliate of Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation in Dubai, has awarded Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) the Dubai Endowment Sign for three years, starting from this October 2019. The award is credited to RTA’s launch of the first Endowment Taxi in the world, the revenue of which is being allocated to local and global humanitarian initiatives undertaken by RTA in the context of its corporate social responsibility. 

HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, received the Dubai Endowment Sign from HE Essa Al Ghurair, Chairman of Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation and MBRGCEC, and several other officials. 

MBRGCEC awards Dubai Endowment Sign in recognition of innovative endowment concepts, initiatives and efforts of public and private entities for providing sustainable contributions to the community. 

As part of its endowment and humanitarian initiatives, RTA designated 10 endowment taxis and allocated their income to its Foundation. It had also made charitable global charitable initiatives in support of education, culture, tolerance, anti-poverty and the empowerment of people of determination. Its charitable contributions amounted to AED5.649 million and benefited about 100 thousand persons. 

“RTA is committed to supporting Dubai Government initiatives in line with the noble values of the UAE people, and in the context of its social responsibility towards individuals and organisations. RTA is also committed to raising the name of the UAE and image of Dubai through its humanitarian events and bringing happiness to people,” said Al Tayer. 

“We pride ourselves on being one of the first entities contributing to the realisation of the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, by rolling out the first endowment taxi in the world. Renewing Dubai Endowment Sign is a big motivation for the development of the community via endowment. We hope our cooperation with MBRGCEC will be marked by substantial contributions to the community development,” he added. 

“Corporate efforts to promote the culture of endowment and support innovative initiatives in this regard are worthy of recognition. Dubai Endowment Sign is a signal of appreciation of the role of organisations in building coherent communities as envisaged in Dubai Plan 2021 and UAE Vision 2021,” said Al Ghurair. 

“Joint innovative endowment initiatives are of benefit to wider community members and will stimulate the growth of charitable and humanitarian activities through enabling endowment contribution to all. The sign also promotes the culture of corporate social responsibility and reflects the values of giving synonymous of the UAE community,” he added. 

“Promoting and innovating charitable and humanitarian activities and broadening their scope to encompass all community members is a strategic goal of Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation and MBRGCEC. It is also in line with the 9th principle of the 50-Year Charter calling for promoting charitable and humanitarian activities and gearing them up with the growth of the national economy,” said HE Ali Al Mutawaa, Secretary-General of Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation and MBRGCEC.

“Dubai Endowment Sign is granted to public and private entities that implement creative initiatives for endowment activities. RTA is a forward-looking entity and its vision is not restricted to providing excellent, integrated and innovative transportation solutions, but is also keen to run quality community contributions worthy of being recognised by Dubai Endowment Sign. 

AED5.6 million 

Since launched in 2017 (Year of Giving) and up to October this year, RTA Charity Foundation has undertaken 44 initiatives in 12 countries to the worth of AED5.649 million and benefiting about 100 thousand persons. 

Its overseas activities reached to Tanzania, Uganda, Egypt and Thailand in the form of water aid, drilling 10 wells in 10 needy countries and other initiatives. Initiatives to people of determination covered establishing Dubai Audio Library targeting seven million Arabs with visual challenges, supporting artificial intelligence hall at Rashid Centre for People of Determination, donating 60 wheelchairs, sponsoring four sports champions and supporting Fazaa Championship for People of Determination. 

Charitable initiatives included supporting 96 students at Zayed University, and Eid gifts to 4000 students from low-income families in addition to volunteering hours. Ramadan used to be a great month for charities such as meals on wheels and Zayed Humanitarian Day, charity dirham and ‘Jisr Al Khair’ initiative for meeting pressing needs of RTA employees. 

RTA’s charitable initiatives also covered educational and cultural aspects such as Empowerment with RTA (2017-2019), and Thuraya Literacy Fund, which targeted 2500 students in Egypt in 2019. RTA also granted 150 public transport textbooks, besides running 7 initiatives during the Year of Giving, 20 initiatives during the Year of Zayed, and 17 initiatives marking the Year of Tolerance.