Aldar Pledges AED 36 Million To National Fund Sandooq Al Watan

Total contribution of AED 84 million over three years reflects Aldar's commitment to reinforcing social participation and strengthening national unity.

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 6 May 2018:  Aldar Properties PJSC ("Aldar" or "the Company"), Abu Dhabi's leading listed property development, investment and management company, is proud to announce a contribution of AED 36 million to Sandooq Al Watan, the National Fund charged with the responsibility of promoting sustainable development, a decent life and a bright future for all the people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The contribution was personally made by Aldar's Chairman, His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, at a ceremony attended by H.E Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim and senior representatives of Aldar and Sandooq Al Watan as well as members from Aldar's senior management team.

The contribution reflects the priority that Aldar attributes to its corporate and social responsibility as a leader in the community. Aldar's latest contribution to Sandooq Al Watan is in addition to the company's previous donations of AED 48 million bringing the total contribution to the fund to AED 84 million. Sandooq Al Watan is a community initiative that seeks to promote a sense of social cohesion in Emirati society. The initiative aligns with the UAE leadership's vision for a sustainable development and a better future for the country and its citizens.

It is rooted in the UAE's national values of charity, generosity and social solidarity, and synchronizes community efforts to forecast and plan for the future. Sandooq Al Watan seeks to steer investments into the UAE's human capital with projects and initiatives that focus on the strategic sectors that most affect people's lives. H.E Dhahi Khalfan, Chairman of Sandooq Al Watan commented: "Collaboration between the UAE's leading organizations is essential for maintaining the country's sustainable development momentum, as well as its social cohesion. Sandooq Al Watan is committed to harnessing the immense potential of the private sector, and offer a platform from successful private companies and businessmen to give back to the community." "We are happy to be working with Aldar, who share our vision and have shown us consistent support and generosity.

Together, we will strive to promote young Emirati talent and provide them with career guidance, all the while encouraging small and medium enterprises and fostering research and innovation in the UAE," H.E Dhahi Khalfan continued. Examples of the initiatives in which Sandooq Al Watan is involved include the Emirati Coder Initiative, which seeks to educate a generation of professionals fluent in programming languages (the "language of the future").

The program takes place over the course of three months, during which participants can hone their skills through a series of classroom lectures and online programs. The program is slated for an expansion allowing it to include 1,000 students from all seven emirates in its next instalment. Another initiative is Researcher.ae, the UAE's first national research-support platform connecting researchers with investors.

Researcher.ae seeks to support R&D across all sectors, including aviation and space travel, water management and genomics, among others, to come up with innovative solutions, patents or prototypes that can create the next generation of highly competitive UAE companies to rival international giants like google, Tesla and others. Sandooq Al Watan had also launched "Mawhibatna" which focuses on identifying and nurturing gifted individuals at a young age through world class summer programs, industry challenges and extracurricular activities designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of gifted and talented children.

Aldar has supported many of these initiatives through its financial contributions as well as through hosting events in its key destinations or assets including Aldar HQ and Aldar Academies. In addition, the national fund joined hands with the Khalifa Innovation Center to establish the "Sandooq Al Watan Oasis", which seeks to field high tech social investment opportunities that are set to yield positive effects on society. The Oasis will cover a total area of approximately 12,000 square feet, setting out to develop innovation centers all around the country, providing dedicated office spaces, laboratories and infrastructure that allow entrepreneurs to produce deep science and high-tech offerings and products. The Oasis will also provide a full range of services, including entrepreneurial training programs conducted by top local and international experts, financiers and entrepreneurs.