The UAE has granted more than $54 billion in foreign aid

The UAE has provided a total of $56.14 billion in foreign aid, which would correspond to Dh206,034 dirhams, from 2010 to 2021. This figure confirms the Arab country's global support for peace and security building, as well as its share of humanitarian aid for development.

The data verifying these figures was provided in a report by the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which noted that the country has managed to maintain its "high rate of development assistance". Moreover, the UAE has been ranked as the world's leading development aid donor for four consecutive years and has ranked second and fourth in other years during the same period. 

In this regard, Emirati foreign aid consists of three key categories, development assistance, humanitarian aid and charitable assistance, according to the report. Thus, development aid provided accounted for about 87.7% of the total value, while humanitarian and charitable assistance accounted for 9.9% and 2.4% respectively. On the other hand, about 59.1% of total development aid has been managed in the form of grants, while concessional loans accounted for the remaining 40.9%. 

Along with this, the report added that the UAE's foreign aid managed to cover 25 key sectors and 131 sub-sectors. Furthermore, the report added that foreign aid contributed to achieving the sustainable development plan set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, offering Dh110.467 billion in aid between the years 2016 and 2020. In the context of sustainable development, Emirates supported the renewable energy sector amounting to around Dh1.97 billion, highlighting that both the United Arab Emirates and Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (UAE-CREF) and UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund (UAE-PPF) received $50 million each. 

In terms of gender equality policies, in 2018 the country launched the "100% Women Policy" which stipulated that by 2021 foreign aid provided will focus on women's empowerment and gender equality by 2021. In this regard, from 2016 to 2020, more than Dh6.17 billion, or US$1.68 billion, was allocated to the "empowerment and protection of women", representing 6.2 per cent of total Emirati foreign aid. 

Moreover, the Arab country has played a leading role in international efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic by providing more than 2,250 tonnes of health aid to nearly 136 countries. It also supported the World Health Organisation and the World Food Programme by supplying around 500,000 PCR test kits worth 36.7 million dirhams. The country has also established field hospitals in Jordan, Guinea Conakry, Sudan, Mauritania, Lebanon and Sierra Leone to assist in its fight against COVID-19.

Finally, with regard to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the UAE has pledged 367 million dirhams, supporting education in 90 countries. In this area, it is expected to provide the same amount over the next five years to support a strategic plan for a global partnership for education.