ABU DHABI // Arabs in the UAE have been described as some of the Gulf’s most generous donors to humanitarian emergencies, according to a survey.
Results of a study conducted by Abu Dhabi-based company Philanthropy Age and YouGov looking at the region’s culture of philanthropy were released on Monday, taking into account the views of 1,008 Arabs across the Gulf and their attitudes towards charity.
Arabs residing in the UAE, who made up 18 per cent of the total sample, were the second most likely in the Gulf to donate in response to humanitarian emergencies, with 42 per cent citing it as a key trigger for giving, behind only Qatar (47 per cent).
UAE residents also said they were inspired to give to charity by Royalty and country leaders, more so than in any other Gulf state, the survey said. Overall, family, friends and colleagues were cited as the main inspiration for charitable giving across the region.
A resounding 87 per cent majority of respondents claimed to have made financial donations to charity within the last 12 months, with more than half of those donors having done so more than once during the same time period.
Fifty seven per cent of donors across the region tend to give to the same charity organisations, according to the survey.
A majority (80 per cent) of respondents had given US$150 (Dh550) or less in their most recent donation, with 45 per cent having donated more than $150 to charity over the past 12 months.
Fifty nine per cent of those surveyed with a monthly household income of $9,000 (Dh33,000) or more claimed to have donated more than $500 to charity over the past year.
Survey results also revealed that religion plays a pivotal role in Gulf giving.
YouGov conducted the research online between late May and early June, with Arab expats making up 70 per cent of respondents and Gulf nationals the remaining 30 per cent.
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