Sandooq Al Watan

Sustaining Emirati
National Identity

Empowerment, Productivity, Responsibility

Our Impact till 2024

Beneficiaries

50000

Persons Upskilled

1000

Partnerships

Initiatives

Vision

A nation where Emiratis proudly sustain their unique national identity, while contributing productively to, and benefiting from, social and economic prosperity.

Values

Impact

Focusing on creating measurable, meaningful, and substantial change in the communities served.

Empowerment

Enabling Emiratis to build self-sufficiency and long-term resilience.

Innovation

Fostering a culture of creativity and innovation among Emiratis.

Sustainability

Supporting sustainable initiatives for long-term impact.

Inclusivity

Ensuring that initiatives are accessible to and benefit diverse groups, regardless of background, status or location.

Social Responsibility

Encouraging a culture of giving back and actively contributing to societal well-being.

Integrity

Upholding transparency, honesty, and ethical behavior in all actions and decision-making.

Collaboration

Partnering with individuals, communities, and organizations to maximize resource utilization and effectiveness.

Mission

Our mission is to help sustain the core and economic values of Emirati National Identity. The core values include language (Arabic), religion (Islam), heritage, and culture, and the economic values include economic resilience, enterprise, and openness.

About Us

Sandooq Al Watan is a not-for-profit, philanthropic organization, under the authority of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, which supports programs, initiatives and events aimed at sustaining the core and economic values of Emirati National Identity.

We fund and support initiatives that focus on building the social and economic empowerment, productivity and responsibility of Emiratis.

We support creative individuals, innovative organizations, and impactful enterprises. We prioritize initiatives demonstrating the potential for substantial impact.

We target Schools and Universities , Family , Military , Youth , People of Determination , Elderly Citizens, Elites, artists, and leaders in culture and thought, Research Facilities and Foreign Communities living in the UAE.

Success stories

Sandooq Al Watan, initiative, has driven numerous impactful projects contributing to the nation’s development and innovation.

Lune Technologies

Lune Technologies, a UAE-based platform for transaction enrichment and analytics. In May 2024, it raised $1.5 million in seed funding and gained recognition from the UAE Ministry of Economy. Lune is advancing financial analytics in the MENA region

Wamda.ai

Specializes in advanced visual intelligence solutions that transform traditional surveillance into real-time, intelligent tools for tracking, identifying, and analyzing human activity. The startup utilized the Emirati Innovator funding to develop and patent the Sharp Vision system

RestHero

RestHero is a social media commerce platform enabling businesses to sell across channels. It raised $200,000 on Beban, partnered with TikTok MENA, and offers vendor masterclasses, revolutionizing UAE social commerce.

Core Values of the UAE

Discover all of Sandooq Al Watan’s initiatives, events and activities for celebrating the values and principles of National Identity in the UAE

Economic Values of the UAE

Discover all of Sandooq Al Watan’s initiatives, events and activities for developing the ability to work productively, innovation and entrepreneurship

Our Partners

Our partners provide valuable advice and intelligence about our operations and activities, and feedback about our performance, outcomes, and impact.

MAJRA

Aldar

Microsoft

Adnoc

IGG

Hub71

EWEC

EMAAR Properties

Deloitte

COOP

News & Updates

January 5, 2025

Latifa bint Mohammed inaugurates fourth edition of ‘Al Marmoom: Film in The Desert’ festival

DUBAI, 5th January, 2025 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), inaugurated the fourth edition of the ‘Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert’ festival. Organised by Dubai Culture in the Al Marmoom Desert Reserve, the event seeks to advance the local […]

February 16, 2025

‘Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert’ honors filmmakers; concludes its fourth edition

DUBAI, 15th January, 2025 (WAM) — The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) concluded the fourth edition of the ‘Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert’ festival with a closing ceremony held at the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve. The event celebrated the winners of the Al Marmoom Short Film Competition, where ‘Investigation’ by director […]

Emirates NBD joins National Incubator Network

ABU DHABI, 26th December, 2024 (WAM) – Sandooq Al Watan and Emirates NBD have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which the bank’s business incubator will join the National Incubator Network. The agreement aims to open new avenues for cooperation and expertise exchange, benefiting UAE entrepreneurs entering the business world. The MoU was signed […]

SCA launches 2nd edition of Financial Market Pioneers Programme

ABU DHABI, 4th November, 2024 (WAM) — The Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) has welcomed a group of young Emiratis to the second edition of its Financial Market Pioneers Programme at its Dubai branch, aiming to equip Emirati cadres for careers in the UAE’s financial sector. This programme, an SCA initiative in collaboration with Sandooq […]

Sustaining Emirati National Identity