Beyond charity: The UAE initiative rewriting the rules of giving

The National · Sarah Maisey · 2026-10-26 12:01 UTC

For Maywand Jabarkhyl, chief executive of FBMI, the future of philanthropy is not about asking for donations, but creating products people genuinely want to buy

For more than 15 years, the Fatima bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI) has been rethinking philanthropy. Founded in 2010 by Sheikha Fatima bint Mohamed, it asks a fundamental question: rather than simply giving money to communities in need, what if aid could create livelihoods that eventually sustain themselves?

Its model is deceptively simple: create products people want to buy, connect their makers with international markets, and reinvest the profits in healthcare, education and support for disadvantaged communities.

“We have to change the way the world gives money,” says Maywand Jabarkhyl, chief executive of FBMI.

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