Page 110 - UAE Foreign Aid Report 2022

United Arab Emirates
110
Foreign Aid Report 2022

Aid Allocation Overview

In 2022, the UAE solidified its commitment to Small In a country-by-country breakdown, the Maldives
Island Developing States (SIDS) by allocating AED stood out as the primary recipient of the UAE’s
206.4 million (USD 56.2 million) in foreign assistance foreign assistance in 2022, garnering 80% of the aid
to 15 SIDS. Distinctly, Comoros and Haiti, were doubly designated for SIDS. Seychelles and Comoros trailed
classified as both SIDS and Least Developed Countries closely, and when combined with the Maldives, these
(LDCs). Of this financial aid, a staggering 93% was three countries collectively accounted for an impressive
provided as grants, with the remaining portion 93% of the UAE’s total contributions to SIDS that year.
presented as concessional loans. When observed over a five-year span, from 2018-2022,
The UAE’s assistance to SIDS in 2022 was the UAE’s support towards SIDS has amounted to AED
predominantly focused on development, with 98% of 1.10 billion (USD 298.9 million), of which 86% was
the aid channeled towards development initiatives. The extended as grants.
remaining 2% was dedicated to humanitarian aid and
charitable endeavors.

Allocation Insights

01 Construction and Civil Development

In 2022, the UAE prominently channeled its financial fortify its infrastructural foundation. This emphasis
resources towards bolstering the construction and civil demonstrates the UAE’s commitment to fostering
development sector in SIDS, earmarking a significant infrastructural and developmental growth, recognizing
67% of the total funds, equivalent to AED 137.7 million the transformative potential such investments hold for
(USD 37.5 million). This support underscores the UAE’s the future of nations like the Maldives within the SIDS
robust partnership with the Government of Maldives, group.
as it seeks to amplify its development initiatives and

02 Energy Generation and Supply

Acknowledging the energy challenges faced by SIDS, in the Maldives, a solar photovoltaic (PV) ground-
especially their nascent renewable energy sector, 12% mounted project and a solar-battery initiative in Haiti’s
of the UAE’s SIDS-directed funds in 2022 (AED 24.4 rural Dondon village and Wakenaam island in Guyana,
million; USD 6.6 million) were allocated to solar and a solar energy project at the University of the Caribbean
wind projects spanning eight of these states. This in Jamaica, and a 5 MW solar power plant in Comoros.
catalyzed diverse projects like a floating solar plant