Emirates NBD and Emirates Islamic have contributed AED 4 million (from their Charity Fund) to the UAE’s Ministry of Education in support of its online and distance learning initiatives launched for all UAE schools during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The contribution will help provide laptops to UAE students, supporting the community through this worthy initiative in these unprecedented times. The contribution comprises AED 2 million on behalf of Emirates NBD and AED 2 million from Emirates Islamic.

The Ministry of Education stressed that the government and private sector complement each other as they play similar roles that are critical to the development, and contribute to the success of the UAE economy while benefiting the development, growth and prosperity of our society. This collaboration will help ensure that students continue to receive quality education during these challenging times.

The Ministry commended Emirates NBD and Emirates Islamic for their support, which facilitates the continued uptake of distance learning, in light of the current situation, and reaffirms the importance of the private sector’s role in enhancing the framework of knowledge and development among students. We appreciate this cooperation and are confident that together, with the Almighty’s blessings, we shall overcome the challenging situation ahead.

Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates NBD, Chairman of Emirates Islamic said: “As a leading local banking Group, Emirates NBD and Emirates Islamic are honored to contribute to the Ministry of Education’s distance learning initiatives. Nothing is more important for us than the health, safety and well-being of our colleagues, customers and the community and the development of our future generations. We want to help students stay connected and for education to remain uninterrupted during this uncertain time. We believe that public-private sector collaborations have a strong role to play in keeping our community protected and resilient and we remain confident that we will all emerge through this experience stronger together. We would also like to take this opportunity to applaud all our dedicated teachers across the UAE as they work to support children with online learning during these challenging times - you are all heroes.”