Abu Dhabi, UAE: His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, visited the headquarters of Athar+ (Athar Plus), Abu Dhabi’s first purpose-driven hub dedicated to accelerating social impact under the Authority of Social Contribution - Ma’an. The hub brings together social enterprises, non-profits, and impact makers into one collaborative ecosystem for social entrepreneurship, highlighting the comprehensive support mechanisms provided for empowering these entities across the emirate. 

HE Dr. Al Neyadi was welcomed by His Excellency Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development (DCD), and His Excellency Abdullah Hameed Al Ameri, Director General of the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an. The officials conducted an extensive tour of the centre’s facilities, showcasing its key departments, collaborative workspaces, and engagements with social entrepreneurs enrolled in its programmes. The visit provided an in-depth overview of Athar’s + key role as a leading platform for fostering collaboration, capacity building, and innovation within the social sector. 

The visit underscored the significance of social impact initiatives like Athar+ in enhancing community cohesion and advancing Abu Dhabi’s social development agenda. It further reinforced the Authority’s commitment to cultivating an enabling environment for innovative solutions, empowering social entrepreneurs, and supporting non-profits to achieve sustainable, long-term societal impact. 

Operated under the UAE’s "Year of Community" framework, Athar+ comes as part of the Authority’s "From the Community to the Community”, an initiative launched to commemorate community giving and promote a culture of community participation in Abu Dhabi. The centre exemplifies the transformative potential of collaborative community efforts in driving positive societal change. 

About the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an

Established in 2019 by the Department of Community Development Abu Dhabi (DCD), The Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an is the Abu Dhabi government’s official channel to receive social contributions through a unified platform, dedicated to uniting community efforts and fostering a culture of giving by collecting contributions, directing them towards social priorities, empowering social enterprises, and promoting volunteering to build a cohesive community.

The Authority supports projects that address social priorities in the health, education, environment, infrastructure, and social services, aiming to nurture a collaborative and active community by connecting individuals and entities in the public, private, and civil society spheres to support their communities.

Contributions made to the Authority of Social Contribution - Ma’an are transparently deployed in full to social projects led by key partners meaning benefactors can maximise the impact their funds have in driving community engagement and providing access to essential resources, programmes, and funding for organisations across Abu Dhabi to achieve their Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainable development goals.