At Dubai Holding, we are committed to supporting local communities through targeted philanthropy. Together with the government, entrepreneurs and communities we innovate for positive social and environmental change.

Dubai Holding’s award-winning philanthropic initiative reached over 16,000 beneficiaries this Ramadan with the second edition of Gift It Forward. The initiative, in partnership with the Community Development Authority (CDA) and DHL Global Forwarding, collected and repurposed more than 315,000 new inventory items for donation, more than doubling the collection in 2024. More than 1500 individuals volunteered to facilitate the marketplaces and attended sustainability training workshops.

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Our 25+ partner’s contributions, valued at over AED 14 million, were distributed at 22 events across eleven locations such as the National Charity School, Dubai Taxi Company, CDA and more. Beneficiaries were invited to curate gift bags according to their needs, creating a more empowering and dignified experience.

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Supporting the UAE's Year of Community 2025, Gift It Forward combines the spirit of giving with Dubai Holding's Sustainability Strategy. By transforming the items into gifts for those in need, the initiative empowers the local community and promotes responsible consumption and production, in line with the UN SDG 12. This year, we diverted more than 85 tonnes of materials from potentially ending up in landfills.

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Gift It Forward harnessed the collective resources of Dubai Holding brands, including Jumeirah, Global Village and Dubai Parks and Resorts and partners including CDA, DHL Global Forwarding, AZADEA Group, L'Occitane en Provence, Virgin Megastore, Apparel Group, Alshaya Group, GMG, The Giving Movement, Fairmont Printing Services, Greenline FZC, Restofair RAK, Rove Hotels, Accenture Middle East, Adeco Technologies LLC and Earthbags, as well as outreach partners Beit Al Khair Society, Dar Al Ber and SmartLife. Execution partners include Lapis Group, Innov8 Tech Education Services and The Surpluss.

Dubai Holding has announced the winner and runner-up of its ‘Innovate for Tomorrow’ Challenge, which attracted 150 submissions from 31 countries. The challenge showcased future-focused solutions addressing critical sustainability issues in alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12, 'Responsible Consumption and Production'.
Frank Cato Lahti from Othalo, Norway, secured first place with his innovative 'Upcycling Plastic into Homes' solution. Rana Hajirasouli from The Surpluss, UAE, was named runner-up for her 'Transforming Excess into Equal Access' initiative. Additionally, three other scale-up company finalists—Manhat, UAE; Mi Terro, USA; and Midori, UAE—were recognised.
The awards were presented during a Pitch and Award Ceremony at the Museum of the Future, where the five finalists showcased their scalable solutions to a distinguished judging panel. The winner, Frank Cato Lahti will implement his solution through a pilot programme with Dubai Holding, guided by the Group’s top experts. Both the winner and the runner-up have been granted one-year access to TECOM Group’s in5 business incubator, the challenge’s execution partner. All five finalists will benefit from Dubai Holding’s extensive support network and have the opportunity to pitch their innovations to a group of investors, providing a platform to elevate their ideas to the next level.
Dubai Holding remains committed to supporting the UAE’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. By fostering a culture of innovation and sustainability, the 'Innovate for Tomorrow' Challenge underscores the importance of implementing solutions that drive significant impact and promote a circular economy.

You can watch the highlights of the Pitch and Award Ceremony here and listen to testimonials from the winner and runner-up.

In the lead up to COP28, we reached almost 387,000 listeners through Climate Conversations in partnership with Dubai Eye radio. The main objective of the campaign was to promote public awareness and understanding of climate change, emphasising the urgency, while encouraging sustainable consumer choices and supporting local businesses for environmental benefits.

You can listen to the conversations here.