Abu Dhabi: Athar+, Abu Dhabi’s first purpose-driven hub dedicated to accelerating social impact, operated by the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, successfully concluded the second edition of the HACK4IMPACT hackathon. Held in alignment with the UAE’s Year of Family, the initiative brought together innovators, entrepreneurs, and community members to develop solutions addressing family-related social priorities in Abu Dhabi.

The hackathon attracted strong interest from the community, receiving 102 applications, of which 68 were shortlisted, resulting in the participation of 48 innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. Over three days, participants worked to create innovative solutions focused on strengthening family foundations, enhancing financial wellbeing for parents, and supporting families caring for ageing parents. The event concluded with teams presenting their ideas to a panel of judges, followed by an awards ceremony recognising outstanding solutions.

The ceremony was attended by His Excellency Abdullah Al Ameri, Director General of the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, His Excellency Salem AlShamsi, Executive Director of Social Incubation and Contracting at the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an and senior officials, who honoured the winning teams and celebrated their contributions to advancing social innovation and family wellbeing in Abu Dhabi.

His Excellency Salem AlShamsi, Executive Director of Social Incubation and Contracting at the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, said: "The second edition of HACK4IMPACT highlighted the power of collaboration and social innovation in addressing community priorities. Through Athar+, we remain committed to empowering innovators and social entrepreneurs to develop sustainable solutions that create meaningful social impact.

“I would like to congratulate all participants for their creativity, dedication, and commitment to developing solutions that support family wellbeing and strengthen social cohesion."

The hackathon reflects the Authority’s ongoing mission to support social entrepreneurs and innovators through mentorship, expertise, and growth opportunities, while fostering a culture of innovation and collective impact across Abu Dhabi.

To know more about Athar+, please visit: Home - AtharPlus

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, transparently directing them towards social priorities, empowering social enterprises, and promoting volunteering to build a cohesive community. 

The Authority supports projects that address critical 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.