DUBAI: The Endowments and Minors’ Affairs Trust Foundation in Dubai (AWQAF Dubai) has announced the completion of 17 percent of a project to establish eco-friendly endowment mall to finance mosque affairs in the emirate.
In line with Dubai’s endowment strategy aimed at enhancing diversity and community solidarity for endowments, supporting charity initiatives, and serving the community and its needs, the initiative is part of the ‘Mosques Endowment’ campaign, which supports the Dubai Mosques Endowments Fund in establishing a charitable endowment that commits its proceeds to meet the needs of mosques.
Spanning a total area of 165,000 square feet in the Al Khawaneej area, the mall will feature 29 shops, a large shopping centre, a medical centre, restaurants, and a fitness centre. It will also include service facilities, roads, garden areas, parking lots, and two prayer rooms for men and women. The estimated cost of construction of the mall is AED40 million, while its expected annual revenues of AED8 million w
ill be used to cover the expenses of about 50 mosques in Dubai that do not have access to endowments.
The mall is being built in accordance with international standards for green buildings, using eco-friendly materials and construction techniques, as well as the latest technologies to generate, save, and recycle energy tapping advanced solutions including solar and renewable energy sources. These efforts are aimed at improving the quality of the environment within the mall and reducing negative impacts on the ecosystem.
Ali Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of AWQAF Dubai, was briefed on the progress of work at the project site. He was accompanied by Khalid Al Thani, Deputy Secretary-General, several division managers from AWQAF Dubai, and the engineers overseeing the project.
Al Mutawa stressed that establishing the mall in Al Khawaneej aligns with Dubai’s plans to expand and enrich endowments and enhance the involvement of individuals and institutions to be active partners in charitable activities. H
e added that construction work at the site is on course for timely completion. He noted that the project, having adopted green building standards, enhances Awqaf’s strategy of creating an endowment sector that follows the best solutions and practices of excellence and institutional innovation.
Al Mutawa called on all government and private entities, institutions, and individuals to contribute to the campaign of building the sustainable endowment project, which represents an innovative model for the Foundation’s projects in supporting mosques in the UAE. This model, he added, lends new civilisational, cultural, and social dimensions to the endowment work and consolidates its role in raising the quality of life for individuals and society.
Source: Emirates News Agency