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Volunteer and charity work Dubai UAE

As in many countries, there are numerous organisations that exist in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the rest of the UAE that are happy to give you something to do, or accept your money, to help them do the jobs that the world of capitalism views as unprofitable. If you're keen to get involved in charitable work but don't know where to start, try calling your embassy or consulate - they will often have information on groups related to your nationality. Or if you have a particular interest or hobby, search for something related to that (for example try hospitals for anything related to health, vets for anything related to animals, special needs schools for anything related to children, sports, education).

List of charity groups and volunteer work organisations

To add a UAE based non-profit organisation to this list, send details to us, or start a topic in the Dubai forum. For schools and support groups for special needs / handicapped / challenged children and adults, see the list of UAE special needs groups.

To publicise a charity event, start a topic in the UAE events forum.

• AdoptaCamp (Adopt-a-Camp) - helps improve living conditions for labourers in Dubai, Fujairah, and Sharjah by distributing "Care Packages" of food, bedsheets, cleaning products, etc. Especially for workers left behind in abandoned labour camps. Also arranges English lessons in association with student volunteers from the American University of Dubai, and tries to organise pro bono medical, dental, and optical treatment. Founded by Saher Shaikh in 2006. Face Book page at www.facebook.com/pages/AdoptaCamp/128987127135944. Email adoptacamp@gmail.com. Volunteers and/or donations of food and water gladly accepted.
• Alcoholics Anonymous UAE - tel +971-4-3441542 Dubai or tel +971-50-4143042 Abu Dhabi, email aainuae@hotmail.com
• All As One - organisation in the UAE (and elsewhere) which supports children in Sierra Leone, in particular, orphaned children. Tel +971-4-3116578.
• Centre for Caring Women and Children, or Ewaa Shelter for Women and Children, in Abu Dhabi. Founded January 2009. Executive Director Sarah Shuhail / Shehail.
• Community Development Authority (CDA) - runs the Dubai Volunteer Centre. Contact tel 800-2121 (toll-free in UAE), website www.cda.gov.ae.
• Dakha Project, The (Dhakha / Dhaka) - charitable organisation founded by Maria Conceicao in July 2005 to improve the lot of poor people in Bangladesh by providing aid and resources to enable the residents to provide for themselves (a variation on the teach-a-man-to-fish-etc principle).
• Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWC / DFWAC), established 2007. Website www.dfwac.ae. Chairman Ahmed Bin Obaid Al Mansoori, Executive Director Afra Rashed Al Basti. Helpline tel 800-111 in UAE, email help@dfwac.ae, telephone +971-4-6060300, email info@dfwac.ae.
• Dubai Volunteering Center - in the Al Khawaneej Community Center, run by the Community Development Authority (CDA). Opened 05 December 2012. Contact details tel +971-4-4299765, email dvc@cda.gov.ae, website www.cda.gov.ae.
• Embassies and consulates (not because they need assistance themselves, but they usually operate as a co-ordination point for charitable causes related to their citizens).
• Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), Jumeirah Beach Rd, near Dubai Zoo, Dubai, tel +971-4-3448622. Environmental awareness, recycling, etc. Ironically, supported by environmentally unfriendly organisations such as Abu Dhabi Energy (Taqa) and Dubai Aluminium (Dubal).
• Emirates Volunteers Association, Sharjah, tel +971-5-5565444.
• Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), The, tel +971-2-4454777 Abu Dhabi, tel +971-3-7222442 Al Ain, tel +971-2-5073283 Musaffah.
• Feline Friends - does for cats what K9 Friends does for dogs. Tel +971-50-5822916 Abu Dhabi or +971-50-4510058 in Dubai. There's a Dr Kat you can direct cat questions to (she's actually Dr Katrin - yes, really).
• Foresight - a Dubai based group involved in vision research and aid, in partnership with Tamkeen.
• Hospitals
• K9 Friends - takes care of dogs and tries to deal with all the summer orphans that uncivilised humans abandon when going on their summer holidays (and yet when we call a person a dog or an animal, it's apparently an insult).
• Kerala Social Center, Abu Dhabi, tel +971-2-6314456
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - tel +971-4-4579255. Location Al Shafar Tower 1, office 808, 8th floor, Tecom C, Al Barsha. Abu Dhabi (head office) tel +971-2-6317645 (updated 25 June 2012, email supplied). Previous information (no longer valid) tel +971-4-3458177, Dubai location Dune Center on Al Diyafah St.
• Mission to Seafarers Dubai - operates the MV Flying Angel (funded by The Angel Appeal), a ship with a library of books and DVDs, internet service, shop and other services for sailors on boats anchored off the UAE East Coast (who don't generally have those "luxuries"). Donations of goods, money, help are welcome. Tel +971-4-3984918.
• Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) Dubai Chapter - relief programs for children suffering in Gaza and the West Bank in the Palestinian Territories.
• RAK Animal Welfare Center - opening March 2010, home for stray cats and dogs needs food, animal carers, veterinary services. See the Pets in Dubai page for more information.
• Riding for the Disabled Association of Dubai (RDAD) - launched 1998 by Sheikha Hassa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to facilitate therapeutic horse riding for children with autism, cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, learnings disabilities, spina bifida, and other mental or physical handicaps.
• Tamkeen - support organisation at Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV) for blind and sight-impaired people.
• Terry Fox Run for Cancer
• UAE Red Crescent Society
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Abu Dhabi

Volunteer in Dubai

"Volunteer in Dubai" (VID) is a non-profit organisation established with the intention of bringing together volunteer workers and charitable organisations / projects. A sort of clearing house to match donor workers to organisations in need of help. An excellent initiative for Dubai.

Volunteer work for non-charitable organisations

Dubai International Film Festival and other significant Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and UAE events (and less significant events) often look for volunteers to assist. They're not exactly charities but for volunteers, it can be something enjoyable, and worthwhile to add to your CV. The positions are rarely paid (hence the term "volunteer") but sometimes there are benefits (like watching a film or show for free). You might need to demonstrate an interest in the area with which the event is concerned (tennis players as ball girls and boys at the Dubai Tennis Championships for example). Contact the organisers of the event in which you're interested to ask if they are looking for volunteers. Often they will enquire at universities and colleges for an army of unpaid workers.

Last update Wednesday 06-Aug-2014

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