Arab Hope Makers: UAE pledges over Dh88m towards Egypt heart centre

Dubai - Once complete, the centre will conduct 12,000 heart surgeries annually, of which 70 per cent will target children.

by Dhanusha Gokulan

Published: Fri 21 Feb 2020, 5:58 PM

Last updated: Wed 26 Feb 2020, 7:33 AM

The UAE has raised an incredible Dh88 million towards the construction of the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in Egypt at the Arab Hope Makers awards ceremony on Thursday, February 2020.
While leading UAE businessmen and government entities have generously pledged a whopping Dh44,235,000 towards the centre, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai announced Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, will match the total donation amount raised at the ceremony.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, arrives at the Coca-Cola Arena for the final of the Arab Hope Makers initiative. Video: Dhanusha Gokulan/KT

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Once complete, the centre will conduct 12,000 heart surgeries annually, of which 70 per cent will target children. Its clinics will also receive over 80,000 patients annually and train over 1,000 cardiologists and cardiac surgeons through the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Foundation.

The Egyptian-British Dr. Magdi Yacoub is one of the world's most respected cardiac surgeons who performed more than 40,000 open heart surgeries and conducted over 2,000 heart transplants.

Pledging their donations at the Arab Hope Makers grand finale, Samih Sawiris from Sawiris Foundation for Social Development announced he will donate Dh6 million; and Hussain Sajwani representing DAMAC Foundation pledged another Dh3 million. Sunny Varkey, founder chairman of GEMS Education and MA Yusuf Ali managing director of LuLu Group International pledged to donate Dh3 million each.

Mishal Kanoo, a UAE business magnate, donated another Dh3 million, and Mohammed Al Ansari, Chairman and Managing Director of Al Ansari Exchange, pledged to donate another Dh6 million. The RTA pledged Dh6 million, followed by a Dh5 million donation from Emirates Islamic Bank and Dh5 million from DEWA. Emirates gifted the centre Dh3 million as well.

Egyptian actor and comedian Ahmed Helmy was announced as the ambassador of hope, and he pledged to donate one million Egyptian pounds towards the heart centre.

Set to become among the region's biggest specialised facilities in cardiac care, the new heart centre in Egypt will expand access to a world-class treatment among vulnerable communities through a fully-equipped facility with the latest research and surgical technologies and qualified medical cadres. The specialised facility will provide free-of-charge cardiovascular care to patients across the Arab world.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com