DUBAI, 4th May, 2026 (WAM) -- The Board of Trustees of the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE), which operates under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, held its first meeting of the year in 2026, chaired by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

The board reviewed projects implemented by Suqia during 2025, particularly those carried out in Tanzania under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide clean drinking water to different regions and villages across Tanzania.

These initiatives have benefited more than one million people to date. Additionally, the board discussed the outcomes of Suqia's Ramadan campaign in collaboration with 19 organisations and association. The campaign saw the participation of DEWA employees distributing water bottles with Iftar meals in mosques and Iftar tents, as well as food baskets to families in need.

The meeting was attended by board members Dr. Sultan Rashid Al Ketbi, Deputy Secretary General for International Aid at the Emirates Red Crescent and Vice Chairman of the Board; Dr. Ahmed Ali Al Raeesi, Vice Chancellor of the UAE University; Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation (Power & Water) at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA); Waleed bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development & Excellence at DEWA; Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at DEWA; and Mohammed Abdul Karim Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of Suqia.

"UN reports state that 2.2 billion people worldwide still lack safely managed drinking water services, while 2.4 billion people live in water-stressed countries. At Suqia UAE, we continue to work towards achieving the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to strengthen the UAE's leading position in global humanitarian and volunteer work through the provision of clean and safe water to millions of people worldwide. Suqia's projects also support efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Goals for 2030, particularly the sixth goal that seeks to ensure access to water and sanitation for all," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Suqia UAE.

Al Tayer noted that in 2025 alone, Suqia implemented 54 projects in Tanzania, in co-operation with the Emirates Red Crescent and the UAE Embassy in Tanzania, benefiting more than 524,000 people.

Mohammed Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of Suqia, said the meeting also reviewed the latest updates on the fifth cycle of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award, with total prizes of US$1 million. He noted that the organisation launched an international marketing and communications campaign targeting universities and companies through business associations to encourage individuals and research institutions to submit innovations that provide sustainable solutions to water scarcity.