ABU DHABI: The Ministry of International Cooperation and Development (MICAD) has announced the value of developmental, humanitarian, and charity aid extended by the UAE for the duration of 44 years. The figure stands at AED174 billion, covering 21 sectors in 178 countries worldwide, during the period from 1971 to 2014.

These statistics were announced by MICAD in a special report launched on the 44th UAE National Day, to highlight the country's efforts in providing international aid, and the initiatives of its leadership provided through donor institutions to improve the lives of millions of people. These efforts gave the UAE the title of the "most generous country in the world" in the years 2013 and 2014.

The UAE’s approach of extending a helping hand and supporting people in need is consistent with the philosophy and vision adopted by the late founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan.

The mission continued with President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and is actively supervised by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE, and ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the Armed Forces.

The records released by the ministry show that the largest percentage of aid is concentrated in the government and civil society sector, amounting to AED80.6 billion, followed by the public programs support sector with a total of AED22.5 billion in aid. The value of humanitarian and relief aid in emergency situations accounted for about AED8.5 billion.

According to the latest information released by the ministry, the Asian continent was the main beneficiary of support and aid money provided during the past 44 years, with a total exceeding AED80 billion dirham, followed by the African continent with a total value of AED75.5 billion used in development projects such as the construction of housing complexes, roads, and bridges, as well as power generation and others.

In a related context, the combined statistics for the past 44 years showed that government aid accounted for 74 percent of the total value of aid and grants provided by donors in the country, collectively worth AED129 billion.

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development came in second place with contributions worth AED30.5 billion, followed by the Emirates Red Crescent with funding valued at AED5.7 billion, then Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Foundation with charities worth AED2.9 billion.

The value of development projects and support provided by UAE donor institutions to children over the past 44 years amounted to about AED2 billion, which were distributed among the health and education sectors, as well as relief programs and infrastructure.

UAE continues to play a major role in international meetings and forums to highlight its contributions in the field of foreign aid, the most recent being the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015 in New York, as part of the state's participation in the summit meetings on the sidelines of the 70th Regular Session of the General Assembly concluded in October.

During this global event, the UAE made a formal pledge to not ignore any state that lags behind in the development process, and to help the world to move toward a path that supports sustainability and flexibility, as part of its tireless efforts toward the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and achieving the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development launched by the United Nations General Assembly.

In this context, the state announced that UAE aid supported a number of key areas in the 2030 development agenda, including infrastructure development, fighting poverty and hunger, the provision of aid for health care, education, and renewable energy, in addition to the support and empowerment of women.