A UAE newspaper has said that the very substantial amount of foreign aid that the UAE has given to a huge number of causes is a significant part of how the country projects itself around the world, and this huge amount of giving is seen as a natural part of the country’s humane duty.

In an editorial on Monday, Gulf News quoted H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, as saying, "This is a core part of the UAE’s values and Arab and Islamic principles," in his forward to the report, ‘UAE’s Foreign Aid in 2015’.

The paper went on to say, "The great fortune that the UAE has enjoyed also brings the responsibility to use the wealth for good effect for humanity as a whole, and this is a responsibility that the UAE takes very seriously. What is noticeable about the UAE’s aid programmes is how carefully they are allocated to where they can do the best long-term good.

"Ninety two percent of the huge total of AED32.34 billion went to development aid, as the UAE is committed to supporting the long-term improvement in people’s living standards, the alleviation of poverty, support for children, and funding improvements in infrastructure and transport that offer a long-term benefit to people’s lives. This kind of spending can trigger a crucial shift from helpless poverty or lack of initiative, to giving a whole population the sense that it can manage its own destiny. This is why such long-term aid is so powerful and should be such a large part of the UAE’s contribution to the world.

"But the extra vital element is the 6.68 percent of AED2.16 billion that went to humanitarian causes, which included helping refugees and people internally displaced by conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. These are some of the world’s largest humanitarian disasters, and it is an important part of the UAE’s commitment to finding a solution that the people themselves are enabled to survive with whatever dignity can be found.

"At a time of continuing chaos in the Arab region, the UAE’s efforts to both build for the long term while also supporting the immediate needs of people affected by the fighting, is an important contribution to enhancing peace and stability throughout the region. The refugees need to have a sense of hope that their lives can be rebuilt. They need to know that others outside their immediate chaos care for their fate."