Decades later, and Sheikh Zayed’s message is echoed firmly by his daughter-in-law, Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan. Through the work of her eponymous foundation, Sheikha Salama is building a philanthropic organisation that works in parallel with the mandate of her husband Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
“I truly believe that we enrich our own humanity when we seek to serve others,” she tells Philanthropy Age.
With the help of an experienced international team headed by Dr Salvatore LaSpada, a former head of the Institute for Philanthropy and associate director at the Rockefeller Foundation, Sheikha Salama has set about recalibrating her family’s giving along strategic lines. Outcomes are everything, programmes are modelled on the rigorous examination of data and input from experts and stakeholders, and it is recognised that without bringing the best out of its youth, the UAE will waste its greatest resource: its people.
Focusing on three key pillars of interest – arts, culture and heritage; education; and health – the foundation is committed to long-term investment and engagement. It is, Sheikha Salama says, “generational work”, and this applies as much to her children as it does the children whose lives will be enriched by the opportunities the foundation provides in the coming decades.
Very deliberately, the foundation’s key pillars of interest have been aligned to reflect the interests of the next generation of Al Nahyans. Even outlying absorptions are catered to: young family members may draw on a ‘Special Interests and Explorations’ fund, which funnels money to causes outside of the foundation’s official remit, but about which they may be particularly passionate.
Recent recipients of capital from this fund include a number of animal welfare organisations, a particular interest of Sheikha Salama’s 12-year-old daughter, Hassa. Funds have also been granted to the Fatima bint Mohamed Initiative, an income-generation project for war widows in Afghanistan established by another daughter, Fatima. A third daughter, Shamma, is fundraising on behalf of a special needs centre, for which she is a fierce advocate.
In this manner, Sheikha Salama intends to use the foundation as a way of introducing her children to their responsibilities as custodians of a nation founded by their grandfather just 41 years ago. Her children may have been born into royalty, yet she expects them to continue the great tradition of giving for which the Al Nahyan family has become known.
Sheikha Salama’s passion for the arts is reflected in her eldest daughter, Mariam, who has taken the lead on the foundation’s arts, culture and heritage funding, and who also serves as chair of the foundation. Sheikha Salama's eldest son Khalid, a voracious reader, is working hard to develop funding initiatives for libraries, reading drives and even book clubs. Another daughter, Shamsa, herself a mother of four young children, is spearheading work on early childhood education.
Sheikha Salama insists that she and her family are just starting out on their philanthropic journey, and hesitates when asked to offer advice to those plotting their own foray into giving. Nevertheless, she can identify key principles that now inform her own approach to philanthropy.
“Zakat or charitable giving is one of the core pillars of Islam, and is a requirement mandated in the Quran,” she says. “Nevertheless, I must confess that I have derived so much satisfaction in helping in whatever small way I can, that it has come to feel more as a source of joy than obligation.
To support emerging Emirati artists, the foundation has launched a fellowship scheme in cooperation with the Rhode Island School of Design. The programme incorporates academic courses, technical workshops, professional skills training, peer critique, and international travel as well as creative production grants. “This kind of focus on human capacity building is central to much of our work,” says Sheikha Salama.
Sheikha Salama’s passion, be it as a collector or as a promoter of arts education and community engagement, is lending great support to the government’s efforts to transform the UAE into a global hub for the arts. A highlight this year has been the foundation’s support for the UAE Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.