Abu Dhabi: National CSR Fund - held its second Policies and Strategies Committee meeting for 2025 to explore ways to advance the UAE's sustainable development goals through enhanced cross-sector collaboration and the rollout of new tools and frameworks to drive national impact.
According to Emirates News Agency, the meeting was chaired by Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, and Head of the Policies and Strategies Committee. It was attended by Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, and the Deputy of the Policies and Strategies Committee; Bedour Saeed Al Raqbani, Board Member of American University of Sharjah; Abdulaziz Al Jaziri, Deputy CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, and Sarah Shaw, CEO of Majra - National CSR Fund.
The meeting reviewed key ongoing initiatives and approved several tools designed to streamline sustainable project qualification and verification processes. It emphasized increasing private sector engagement in the fund's initiatives, validating project assessment mechanisms, and introducing new initiatives such as the Impact Index. The 'Transformational Projects Framework', being developed by the Emirati committees for social responsibility and sustainability, was also addressed. This framework is chaired by the chambers of commerce and industry in each emirate. The strategy formulated as a part of the Impact Retreat held in November 2024 was reviewed, and strategic initiatives aligning with the UAE's vision to enhance social sustainability were launched.
Mubarak Al Nakhi highlighted the UAE's leadership vision, stating that a roadmap is being created to build a sustainable and prosperous future by strengthening the private sector's corporate social responsibility framework. He mentioned that the aim is to enhance sustainable impact and expand the participation of private sector institutions in light of global changes and best international practices, building upon the achievements of Majra's key initiatives like 'Impact Seal', 'MAJRA Council', and 'Impact Index'.
Sarah Shaw, CEO of Majra, stated that Majra is responsible for providing necessary frameworks and enablers to enhance the private sector's contribution to shaping the UAE's sustainable future. The focus is on embedding social responsibility and sustainable impact as essential components of the institutional work system, establishing a foundation for collaborations and sustainable impact, supporting approved projects, and activating reference frameworks under the impact index.
The committee reviewed updates to the Sustainable Impact Challenge, integrating the Majra Entity Portal and launching new award categories within the challenge to expand outreach and encourage broader participation from businesses and organisations across the UAE. This challenge, launched during the fourth edition of Investopia 2025, aims to foster greater involvement.
The roadmap of the Impact Index, a national benchmarking tool designed to measure CSR, ESG, and sustainability performance in the private sector, was also reviewed. It facilitates data collection in line with national and international frameworks, such as the SDGs, Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and MSCI. Majra is preparing the first report, set for release in early 2026, in collaboration with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre and other international organisations.
At the meeting's conclusion, committee members reaffirmed their commitment to advancing Majra's strategic vision by endorsing mechanisms that promote transparency, inclusivity, and long-term impact across all initiatives and programmes.