Dubai Cares, the UAE-based philanthropic establishment launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Vice-President and Ruler of Dubai, has announced that Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Chairperson of Dubai Cares has appointed Tariq Mohammad Saleh Al Gurg as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Considered to be the largest NGO in the world solely dedicated to providing children in developing countries with access to primary education, Dubai Cares presents Al Gurg with the opportunity to utilize his vast experience and establish a wider network reach for the implementation of education programs in developing countries.
Al Gurg’s previous experience includes twelve years at various senior positions within the consumer and corporate banking divisions in National Bank of Dubai (now Emirates NBD). Tariq is a founding board member of the UAE Genetic Diseases Association (GDA), which is chaired by H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and was also a member of the National Anti-Money Laundering Committee of the UAE (NAMLC), which is chaired by the Governor of the UAE Central Bank. In addition to his extensive knowledge and experience, Tariq has also undergone two years of extensive training in leadership as part of the leadership program by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Dubai Cares works in accordance with globally recognized best practices for international NGOs, and has active partnerships with organizations such as Care International, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, OXFAM, Room to Read, Save the Children, Médecins Sans Frontières, UNICEF and UNRWA. Dubai Cares is currently reaching over 4 million children in 21 countries through educational programs that include the building and renovation of 2,172 schools, training 22,370 teachers, establishing 3,157 Parent-Teacher Associations, creating 489 libraries and distributing 1.3 million books written in local languages. Dubai Cares is implementing comprehensive primary education programs to help attain the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 2 of achieving universal primary education.