UAE developer’s charity app collects nearly Dh1m in donations during Ramadan

The amount of money donated through the Khayr app, developed by Emirati Fares Al Ali, has reached Dh5 million since its launch in mid-2013.

ABU DHABI // A mobile app that allows users to donate directly to UAE charities has proved to be more popular than ever during the month of giving.

This week, the amount of donations made through the Khayr application since its launch in mid-2013 reached Dh5 million. Though donations have increased each Ramadan, this year they have reached almost Dh1 million in less than a month and the number of donors jumped from 7,800 to 19,100.

The developer of the app, Fares Al Ali, 42, an Emirati who studied electrical engineering technology and has 20 years of experience in digital content and digital marketing, said what makes the app different is simplicity.

“Simplicity makes the app unique and different from others. I always believe in Albert Einstein’s quote, ‘If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.’”

Khayr – which translates to “good” – uses technology that facilitates a peer-to-peer communication between the user’s mobile and the charity’s SMS short code, informing the user of how much each short code costs.

“The app is not complicated, easy to use, with a neat user interface, allowing users to easily donate with three clicks only,” Mr Al Ali said.

Mr Al Ali also designed a leading app called Athkar, a dua’a app with a million downloads on Apple’s App Store.

“Following the success of Athkar app and watching its growth motivated me. I thought, ‘Why not create something new again, something for the people and society, a simple app with new idea?’” he said. “I invited two of my friends to brainstorm and we came up with Khayr.”

The app is updated for users to participate in campaigns such as Reading Nation, announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, at the start of the holy month. It was aimed at giving five million books to refugee and underprivileged children.

“The app content is up to date. For instance, we immediately add new campaigns, such as Reading Nation and other important campaigns, and we promote it through social media.

“It is also smart enough to know the user’s mobile network, so it will present only supported charities and SMS short codes in that mobile network.”

Users in Qatar and Saudi Arabia can also use the app, and Mr Al Ali plans to extend this support to other countries in the GCC and promote the application there.

“People who used the app are the main reason behind this huge success. People here in the UAE love to contribute to the society and love to donate to charity in their will,” he said. “I thank everyone used the app for their support and trust.”

The app will soon have an English-language interface, Mr Al Ali said.