Abu Dhabi Sees 95% Growth in Volunteering Hours in 2024

Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office

The Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi is working hard to build a strong and flexible environment for volunteering. With new rules and programs, they are helping more people get involved in meaningful community work. The goal is to make a real difference and inspire everyone to be active members of society.

Volunteering plays a very important role in building a caring and united community. It encourages people to help others, take responsibility, and support national growth. When people volunteer, they don’t just give their time—they show kindness and a desire to make life better for everyone. This also helps build a new generation that cares about the future of the country.

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Abu Dhabi is focused on creating more chances for people to volunteer and making it easier for them to take part. Thanks to these efforts, the Emirate is becoming a center for giving and social care.

As part of the “Year of the Community” in 2024, DCD shared some big achievements in the volunteering sector. These results show that more people are volunteering and helping with many different causes, from health and education to helping the elderly and protecting the environment.

These successes came from teamwork between the DCD and other important groups like the Authority of Social Contributions – Ma’an, Emirates Foundation, Emirates Red Crescent, and more.

Big Increase in Volunteering Hours

In 2024, Abu Dhabi saw a huge rise in volunteer hours. People gave 1,709,177 hours, which is 95% more than the 873,787 hours recorded in 2023. This shows that more people are now aware of how important volunteering is and are eager to be involved.

Volunteers helped in many different areas, including:

• Healthcare

• Education

• Sports

• Environmental work

• Community empowerment

• Support for elderly citizens

Volunteering’s Economic Value

The value of all this volunteer work in 2024 was AED 123 million, nearly double the value from 2023. This shows how volunteering helps not just the community, but also the economy. It improves services and supports a workforce that is skilled, active, and caring.

Last year, DCD also introduced a new way to calculate the value of volunteering. For the first time in the UAE, they announced that one hour of volunteering is worth AED 72. This new idea was created in partnership with the Emirates Foundation, Ma’an, and the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi.

More Volunteers and Opportunities

By the end of 2024, the number of new volunteers went up to 28,087, compared to 23,910 in 2023. This growth shows that the new rules and systems have worked well. The updated volunteer policy made it easier for people to sign up, gave them more flexibility, and made the whole process more clear and simple. This change was part of the “Effortless Customer Experience” plan by the Abu Dhabi Government.

Also, the number of volunteer jobs available grew to 2,527, up from 1,185 the year before. These jobs came from 91 organizations, including:

• 50 government and private companies

• 19 nonprofit (third-sector) groups

• 22 volunteer teams

To thank the amazing work of volunteer teams, DCD also created a special award for them under the Third Sector Awards, which was held for the first time.

Leadership Comments

His Excellency Mohamed Helal Al Balooshi, who leads the Community Engagement and Sports Sector at DCD, said these achievements match the government’s vision to build a strong, united society. He said that volunteering is an important part of long-term development and that the growth in 2024 shows how well different groups—government, businesses, and non-profits—are working together.

He said:
"We’ve seen amazing progress in volunteering in just one year. Volunteer hours increased by 95%, showing that our community really cares and wants to help. Through many programs and activities, we’re growing a culture of giving and responsibility.”

His Excellency also said that more people now understand that volunteering is an important part of their identity and responsibility as citizens. People are not just helping—they want to bring positive change and support Abu Dhabi’s goals for a better future. He praised the volunteers for their hard work and dedication.

He added:
"The Year of the Community is a great chance to grow the value of volunteering. It brings people together and helps build a strong and caring society. We believe that these impressive numbers will continue to grow and make Abu Dhabi a leader in volunteering around the world."