International Humanitarian City and the UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid sign a Memorandum of Understanding 

Dubai, May 6, 2012: The International Humanitarian City (IHC) and UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA) signed today a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the headquarters of the IHC in Dubai. HE Ibrahim Bumelha, Vice - Chairman of the International Humanitarian City, and HE Hazza Mohammed Al Qahtani, Director General of the Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid signed the memorandum of understanding in the presence of representatives and members of the IHC, United Nations organizations and several international humanitarian organizations based in Dubai.

Signing this agreement represents a new step within the framework of continuous cooperation between OCFA and the IHC. The MOU sets the foundations for future cooperation in the field of humanitarian aid and development processes. The parties will promote and support best practices aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian and development through the provisions of the agreement of cooperation, documentation, information management, conferences and special events in this area. In addition to supporting cooperation for the humanitarian emergency response situations and encouraging activities of dissemination of public information to raise awareness and publicize the achievements of both institutions, as well as training and capacity building.

HE Ibrahim Bumelha, Vice - Chairman, of the IHC said: "The International Humanitarian City, provides exceptional services to the humanitarian community which is further reinforced with this constructive partnership with the Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid contributing to the development of humanitarian action, and emphasizing the IHC’s commitment to provide value-added services, as well as intensify efforts for higher efficiency of humanitarian workers”.

“This Memorandum of Understanding represents an important step towards enhancing the coordination and cooperation between the IHC and OCFA in fields of humanitarian and development assistance. We will work together on different projects and initiatives that will raise the profile of the UAE as a major contributor and key player on the international level.” HE Hazza Mohammed Al Qahtani, Director-General of UAE OCFA said.

HE Shaima Al Zarooni, the IHC’s CEO expressed her optimistic expectations from this fruitful cooperation with OFCA and extended her appreciation to HE Ibrahim Bumelha, Vice – Chairman of the IHC and HE Hazza Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Director General of the Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid for their support and their continued efforts in building the humanitarian community locally and internationally.

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OCFA was established by Cabinet Decree to support UAE foreign aid donors improve their delivery of humanitarian and development programmes worldwide.  With HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, presiding as the office’s President, OCFA is assessing foreign aid donor needs; providing appropriate training programmes and knowledge transfers; and, building and strengthening ties between the UAE foreign aid sector and the international aid community by providing multiple platforms that bring international and local aid organizations together.

For more information, please contact:

 Fadwa Qourah Hadid

Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA)

Tel: +971 2 6544407

Mobile: +971 55 9463027

Twitter: @UAEForeignAid