His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, awarded Morocco's Fouzia Jbara Mahmoudi with Dhs 1 million as the top winner of the Arab Hope Makers initiative.
Fouzia Jbara Mahmoudi earned the top honour after receiving the highest number of votes during the closing ceremony of the Arab Hope Makers initiative, held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, in recognition of her foundation, ‘Operation Smile.’ Fouzia emerged as the ultimate winner from amongst a vast field comprising 15,800 participants.
Operation Smile, a foundation dedicated to providing comprehensive, free-of-charge care for children born with cleft lips and palates, currently operates three specialised medical centres in Casablanca, El Jadida, and Oujda, with a fourth facility nearing completion in Marrakech. The foundation has conducted 164 mobile medical missions across 30 cities. These intensive five-day missions would screen 100 to 150 cases and perform an average of 90 surgeries.
Since its inception and fuelled by the dedication of over 650 volunteers from across Morocco, Operation Smile has successfully performed more than 19,000 surgeries and has offered dental care services to over 120,000 individuals.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan also awarded two other finalists, Hend Alhajri from Kuwait, and Abderrahmane Rais from Morocco. They won cash prizes of Dhs 1 million each, taking the total value of prizes awarded during the sixth edition of the Arab Hope Makers initiative to Dhs 3 million.
Alhajri founded 'Fatima House' in Tanzania, which currently accommodates 47 children, helping to prevent the separation of orphaned siblings.
Meanwhile, Rais has become closely associated with Suroor, a humanitarian initiative focused on assisting widows and vulnerable women throughout Morocco. His debt-relief programme has already supported more than 7,000 individuals. In addition to financial assistance, he leads efforts to dig wells, construct homes, and sponsor Umrah trips. Overall, his combined humanitarian initiatives have benefited over 20,000 people to date.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan said: "Congratulations for possessing this energy to give and dedicate yourselves to the service of others. Congratulations for having this impactful humanitarian presence, which is shaping both the present and future of our nations."
The Arab Hope Makers initiative remains the largest in the Arab world dedicated to honouring people who make a difference to the lives of others.