Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation, has been honoured by philanthropist Bill Gates for her work in championing and protecting children's rights.
The recognition came on Monday at the 2025 Goalkeepers event in New York, hosted by the Bill Gates Foundation, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Ms Al Hashimy was named a Goalkeepers Champion for her work as chairwoman of Dubai Cares, a UAE-based global philanthropic organisation committed to improving access to education in developing countries.
“Every child embodies a promise for the future; a promise we must nurture together with purpose and determination," Ms Al Hashimy told The National. "This recognition is a profound honour and reflects the UAE’s unwavering commitment to advancing opportunities for the most vulnerable."
Ms Al Hashimy was one of several honoured, including former footballer David Beckham for his malaria advocacy with the UN children's fund, author John Green for sparking global conversations on tuberculosis and mental health, and leading health innovators from India, Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria for their work in advancing children's health.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was named the winner of the 2025 Global Goalkeeper Award for his "continued commitment to advance the [foundation's] Global Goals".
This year's annual event focused on reigniting a shared commitment to saving children’s lives, said Mr Gates, who announced his foundation’s pledge of $912 million over three years to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, urging governments and donors to match the ambition.
The event also comes at a critical time for global health funding. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, international development assistance for health fell by 21 per cent between 2024 and 2025 – its lowest level in 15 years.
Mr Gates warned that without urgent action, decades of progress in reducing child mortality could be at risk.
“What’s happening to the health of the world’s children is worse than most people realise, but our long-term prospects are better than most people can imagine,” said Mr Gates. “I don’t expect most governments to suddenly restore foreign aid to historic levels, but I am an optimist and I believe governments can and will do what’s needed to save as many children as possible."
Amid steep funding cuts, the Goalkeepers event highlighted the people, innovations and policies that are offering hope and accelerating solutions - Ms Al Hashimy being one of them.
"We are proud to stand with our global partners to champion solutions that ensure every child, everywhere, can learn, grow, and realise their full potential," she said.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
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