April 20, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Dubai Cares, a charity in the United Arab Emirates, have agreed to work together to improve children’s health and education in developing nations.
A press statement on the Gates foundation Web site said the software mogul Bill Gates and Reem Al Hashimy, chairman of Dubai Cares, signed a “memorandum of cooperation” in Dubai on Sunday.
“The agreement represents a commitment by Dubai Cares and the Gates foundation to collaborate and co-fund programs that advance their distinct but related missions,” the statement said.
It did not say what specific projects they would support together or how much they would spend on such efforts.
Dubai Cares was started in 2007 by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, and helps children gain access to primary education in 20 countries in the Middle East, East Asia, Africa, and elsewhere.
It is part of a growing philanthropic effort in the Middle East. Read The Chronicle’s article about Arab philanthropy and how it may be affected by the economic downturn.
