UAE Leads Gulf States in Islamic Charity Support for Displaced Communities
Kalobeyei, 11 March 2026
The United Arab Emirates ranked among the top contributors to UNHCR’s Islamic philanthropy programmes in 2025, helping raise $39.47 million that supported over one million displaced people across 25 countries. Sixty percent of these zakat and sadaqah funds originated from the Middle East and North Africa region, with UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar leading donations. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives alone assisted 70,000 forcibly displaced people globally, while the ‘Home for Home’ initiative provided durable housing for over 3,300 refugees in northern Kenya. Since 2017, UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund has supported 9.9 million displaced people worldwide, demonstrating how Islamic charitable giving provides crucial humanitarian assistance where traditional funding falls short.
Financial Impact and Regional Distribution
The scale of Islamic charitable giving through UNHCR channels demonstrates significant financial commitment from Gulf states. In 2025, the organisation raised $39.47 million through zakat and sadaqah contributions, supporting over 1.03 million displaced people across 25 countries [1]. This funding represents a crucial lifeline at a time when UNHCR’s overall contributions totalled $3.5 billion, approximately 28 percent less than 2024 levels [1]. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) specifically helped assist around 70,000 forcibly displaced people in 2025 across Bangladesh, Botswana, India, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tunisia [1]. Through partnerships including the ‘100 Million Meals’ and ‘1 Billion Meals’ Ramadan campaigns, MBRGI’s contributions have reached around 800,000 refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum-seekers and host communities [1].
Transforming Lives Through Housing Initiatives
The practical impact of UAE-supported programmes becomes evident through specific housing projects across Africa. The ‘Home for Home’ initiative, implemented through a partnership between Arada, UNHCR and The Big Heart Foundation, has provided durable housing for over 3,300 refugees and established water infrastructure benefiting over 43,000 people in northern Kenya [1]. The programme’s reach extends beyond Kenya, having provided shelter for over 14,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad and improved access to clean water for around 30,000 individuals [1]. These infrastructure developments address fundamental needs that temporary shelters cannot meet, as Dr Khaled Khalifa, Senior Adviser and UNHCR Representative to the GCC countries, explains: ‘It helps refugees restore a sense of stability, dignity and normalcy after displacement’ [1].
Personal Stories of Transformation
Individual refugee experiences illustrate the tangible benefits of these Islamic philanthropy programmes. Jenthy Simon, a South Sudanese refugee who fled to Kenya with her two children in 2017, represents thousands who have benefited from these initiatives [1]. Initially living in fragile makeshift shelters, Simon and her family were able to build a durable home through the ‘Home for Home’ initiative [1]. Her story reflects the broader impact of UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund, which since its establishment in 2017 has supported more than 9.9 million displaced people worldwide [1]. The fund demonstrates how Islamic charitable principles can be systematically applied to address humanitarian crises on a global scale.
Expanding Islamic Finance for Humanitarian Action
Looking ahead to March 2026, new initiatives are emerging that could further strengthen Islamic philanthropy’s role in humanitarian assistance. The Tayyib Fellowship, launching later this month, represents a global cohort exploring the intersection of Islamic values, ethical finance, and climate action [2]. This programme, delivered through the Ummah for Earth Alliance with support from Greenpeace, partners with the Global Ethical Finance Initiative under the Islamic Sustainable Finance Initiative, alongside the Islamic Finance Council UK and HSBC Middle East [2]. Dr Khalifa emphasises the strategic importance of this regional engagement: ‘GCC-based private donors provide not only substantial financial resources but also a strong commitment to values of solidarity, dignity and shared responsibility, principles closely aligned with UNHCR’s humanitarian mandate’ [1]. These developments suggest that Islamic finance mechanisms will continue expanding their humanitarian applications beyond traditional zakat and sadaqah distributions.