Sharjah Volunteer Award marks 25 years of community giving

January 29, 2026 / 3:26 PM

Sharjah24: The Sharjah Volunteer Award is celebrating its 25th anniversary, reaffirming its position as one of the UAE’s leading national initiatives dedicated to promoting volunteerism, social responsibility and community engagement.

Established in 2001 by an Emiri Decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the Award has evolved into a comprehensive platform recognising outstanding volunteer efforts. Over the past quarter century, it has supported humanitarian, social and developmental initiatives, attracting wide participation from individuals, government and private entities, non-profit organisations and volunteer teams across the UAE.

Since its inception, the Award has organised 23 cycles, honouring nearly 1,300 winners across its various categories. In its 22nd edition in 2024 alone, 41 winners were recognised from 105 participants, with 16,901 volunteers contributing more than 254,760 volunteer hours across 73 volunteer opportunities, alongside financial support exceeding AED 595,000.

A deeply rooted culture of giving

Her Excellency Maryam Majid Al Shamsi, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Sharjah Volunteer Award, affirmed that marking 25 years reflects the success of Sharjah’s vision in embedding volunteerism as a sustainable way of life. She highlighted that the Award goes beyond recognition, contributing to the development of an effective volunteer ecosystem and strengthening values of solidarity and social cohesion.