Aldar Contributes Aed 36 Million To Sandooq Al Watan – Total Contributions Now Reach Aed 120 Million

• Aldar to pledge AED 4.5m to fund research into water scarcity and usage

• In line with Aldar's commitment to improving sustainability within the UAE

Abu Dhabi - UAE, 1st October 2019: Aldar Properties PJSC ('Aldar') announced today that, in line with its sustainability agenda and its commitment to supporting future generations of UAE Nationals, it is contributing AED 36 million to Sandooq Al Watan – the UAE's National fund, taking its total contributions to AED 120 million.

As a part of its contribution, Aldar is pledging AED 4.5 million to fund research grants into water scarcity and usage. This pledge follows Aldar's commitment to be an active participant in how its annual donations are allocated and follows on from its participation in the successful Mawhibatna and UAE Coder initiatives which were hosted at Aldar's Al Mamoura Academy. Sandooq Al Watan will administer the research funding through its dedicated platform – researcher.ae as a part of its SWARD programme.

The SWARD programme seeks to bridge the gap between academia and industry in the UAE in order to deliver tangible social and economic outcomes. SWARD supports medium to large scale projects across four priority areas, namely; aerospace and defence, water management, healthcare and genomics, and, the 4th industrial revolution.

Commenting, Talal Al Dhiyebi, Chief Executive Officer, Aldar Properties, said: "We are immensely proud to support Sandooq Al Watan with an annual contribution to support its incredible works to create new opportunities for the next generation of UAE Nationals. Furthermore, we are delighted to fund vital research into water scarcity and usage, which is of national importance as pressure on our precious water resources continues to grow. We look forward to the requests for research funding coming as we look to make a meaningful and positive impact on our society and environment."

Mohamed Al Qadi, Director General, Sandooq Al Watan, added: "Aldar is not only one of our biggest donors, it is a key partner in delivering some of our biggest initiatives to date. By leveraging their experience in education, investment and retail, we have been able to maximize the impact of our initiatives and benefit over 5,000 Emiratis since our inception in 2017. When it comes to sustainability and giving back to the local community, Aldar is a role model for other organization that we are proud to be associated with. We are very excited to continue working with them to empower our citizens, enhance inclusion, and build a sustainable future together."

For those interested in applying for research grant funding, please visit:www.researcher.ae