Sandooq Al Watan

What Sandooq Al Watan does

Sandooq Al Watan is a not-for-profit philanthropic organization headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, operating under the authority of Erth Zayed Philanthropies. Founded in 2016 and chaired by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan (UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence), the organization funds and runs programmes aimed at sustaining the core values of Emirati National Identity - Arabic language, Islamic faith, heritage, and culture - alongside the economic values of resilience, enterprise, and openness. It is governed by a Board of Directors and led operationally by Director General Yasser Al Gargawi.

The organization's portfolio spans youth education, entrepreneurship support, financial-sector training, creative arts, and AI literacy. Core programmes include the Financial Markets Pioneers Programme (with the Securities and Commodities Authority and ADGM Academy), the Jusoor International initiative (placements in Germany and Singapore), the EGA Ramp-Up entrepreneurship accelerator (with Emirates Global Aluminium and Microsoft), the AI Innovators Programme, summer programmes for 50,000+ students in 54+ venues, and National Identity Clubs across UAE schools and universities. Programme delivery is enabled by 60+ partnerships spanning government, academia, and the private sector, including Microsoft, AI Singapore, Emirates NBD, ADNOC, Aldar, Emaar, Deloitte, and Hub71.

Sandooq Al Watan does not sell products or services and generates no commercial revenue. It is funded through donations from individuals and corporate/institutional donors - among them ADNIC, Al Masaood, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Etisalat, LuLu Exchange, Emirates Islamic Bank, and the Armed Forces Officers' Club and Hotel (which committed AED 25 million plus a 2% income allocation). The economic model is therefore that of a state-aligned philanthropic foundation: donor-funded, programme-delivering, and politically embedded rather than market-revenue-driven.

Name

Sandooq Al Watan

Legal name

Sandooq Al Watan (صندوق الوطن)

Website

https://sandooqalwatan.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sandooq Al Watan is a UAE not-for-profit philanthropic foundation under Erth Zayed Philanthropies that funds and runs programmes strengthening Emirati National Identity through youth education, entrepreneurship, financial-sector training, AI literacy, and cultural initiatives, serving students, entrepreneurs, families, and artists across all UAE regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Abu Dhabi

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sandooq Al Watan is a not-for-profit philanthropic organization under the authority of Erth Zayed Philanthropies that funds and delivers programmes, initiatives, and events aimed at sustaining the core and economic values of Emirati National Identity. Its offerings span summer educational programmes for youth, national identity clubs in schools and universities, financial market training, AI and innovation programmes, entrepreneurship support through a national incubator network, creative writing and arts competitions, and international internship opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Programme Annual summer educational programme for school and university students aged 8-16, delivered across 54 venues including government and private schools, cultural and youth centers. Activities cover Arabic language, Islamic values, heritage, culture, and advanced technologies including artificial intelligence. Attracted 50,000+ participants in 2025.
• Financial Markets Pioneers Programme Three-week intensive training programme for Emirati men and women covering investment and trading fundamentals, risk management, financial derivatives, Islamic and sustainable finance, and financial regulations. Delivered in collaboration with the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Academy. 58+ Emiratis graduated across the first two cohorts; 33 participants in the 3rd edition.
• National Incubator Network UAE-wide umbrella network bringing together business incubators and accelerators across all UAE regions, providing collaboration, expertise exchange, and support for individuals transforming business ideas into operational companies. Members include Emirates NBD's business incubator and other corporate-backed incubators; 1,200+ incubators participate.
• Jusoor International International internship initiative offering Emirati university graduates technical placements with leading companies abroad. Fourth edition (April 2025) placed 25 participants in 2.5-month technical internships with German companies in technology, engineering, and medical sciences, in partnership with the UAE-Germany 4IR Taskforce. The AI Singapore edition provides a 5-month AI apprenticeship comprising 2 months of UAE training and 3 months in Singapore.
• EGA Ramp-Up Programme Flagship entrepreneurship programme empowering UAE entrepreneurs in impact-driven and sustainability-focused businesses, delivered in partnership with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Microsoft UAE and aligned with the Entrepreneurial Nation Strategy 2031. Third season applications opened in April 2025.
• Our Heritage in Words Creative Writing Competition Creative writing competition organized in cooperation with National Identity Clubs in UAE schools and universities, focused on strengthening pride in national identity through literature, storytelling, poetry, and business management. Open to participants writing in classical Arabic.
• AI Innovators Programme Artificial intelligence training programme for Emirati high school students aged 13-18 equipping participants with AI knowledge and skills through training programmes, national competitions, and support for international competitions such as Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior. Implemented in collaboration with Microsoft.
• AI Inspire Lab Programme Cultivates AI innovators across the UAE by empowering students to develop AI-driven projects that celebrate UAE National Identity through hands-on learning and expert mentorship.
• What the UAE Means to Me Writing Competition Writing competition accepting short stories, poems, essays, and letters in Arabic or English. Accepts AI-assisted or AI-generated creative entries as one submission format, promoting AI literacy in creative expression.
• Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert Festival Festival featuring AI-powered filmmaking workshops where participants create AI-generated films combining text, image, and video generation modalities.
• National Identity Clubs Student clubs operating in UAE schools and universities serving as a grassroots engagement mechanism for national identity initiatives, including the 'Our Heritage in Words' creative writing competition and broader identity programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ beneficiaries from summer programmes in 2025 alone
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Identity Clubs in UAE Schools and UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 October 2025Partnership with national identity clubs in schools and universities for the 'Our Heritage in Words' creative writing competition and broader identity initiatives.
• National Incubator Network (UAE National Incubator Network)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2025Umbrella network bringing together business incubators and accelerators across the UAE, providing collaboration, expertise exchange, and support for individuals transforming business ideas into operational companies. Powers the UAE National Incubator Network that AXD Space joined.
• Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for the Financial Market Pioneers Programme, providing Emirati youth with training and qualification for the UAE financial sector through intensive courses in investment, trading, risk management, and financial regulations.
• Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with SCA and Sandooq Al Watan on the Financial Market Pioneers Programme, providing academic rigor and real-world applications for Emirati financial sector training.
• AI Singapore (AISG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership hosting the Jusoor International AI programme - a 5-month UAE-AI Singapore experience with 2 months intensive training in UAE followed by 3-month apprenticeship in Singapore with industry clients and AI experts.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on AI Innovators programme for high school students and technology-focused initiatives including the Imagination and Creativity Cup, supporting UAE's innovation and knowledge-based economy vision.
• Emirates NBDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBank's business incubator joined the National Incubator Network to provide cooperation and expertise exchange benefiting UAE entrepreneurs in the business world.
• Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandooq Al Watan supports the EGA Ramp-Up programme for UAE entrepreneurs aligned with the Entrepreneurial Nation Strategy 2031, providing mentorship and training.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Sharjah Charity International: UAE-based charitable organisation delivering community welfare and youth programmes in Sharjah. Comparable as a regional UAE philanthropy with youth and community-development focus.
• King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba): Saudi foundation nurturing gifted youth through STEM and innovation programmes. Comparable as a GCC national-identity-linked philanthropy targeting youth talent development and STEM enrichment.
• Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC): UAE non-profit delivering social welfare and empowerment programmes. Comparable as a UAE-based social-impact foundation, though with a more specialised social-services mandate.

Direct peers

• Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF): UAE philanthropic foundation focused on knowledge, youth, and Arab identity development. Highly comparable as a non-profit operating under UAE leadership with comparable youth education and Arabic-language programmes.
• Dubai Cares: UAE-based philanthropic foundation focused on education and youth empowerment programs across the developing world. Directly comparable as a UAE philanthropic foundation with education-focused programming.
• Emirates Foundation: UAE national foundation focused on youth empowerment, community development, and social inclusion. Comparable as a federally-rooted philanthropic body targeting Emirati youth through national-scale programmes.
• Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education: UAE philanthropic foundation focused on youth education, employability, and Arab youth skills development. Comparable as a UAE philanthropy with education-to-employment programming targeting young Emiratis and Arabs.

Broad incumbents

• Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD): Abu Dhabi government-owned development institution funding socio-economic projects. Broader incumbent in UAE development philanthropy with overlapping national-development mandate and government backing.

Others

• Hub71 (Abu Dhabi tech ecosystem): Abu Dhabi-based global tech ecosystem backed by Mubadala. Comparable as a listed strategic partner of Sandooq Al Watan supporting UAE entrepreneur development through the National Incubator Network.
• Microsoft Philanthropies (Youth Skills & AI for Good): Global philanthropic arm of Microsoft running AI-for-Youth and digital-skills programmes. Comparable as an existing strategic partner to Sandooq Al Watan through the AI Innovators programme and a model for scaled youth AI literacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sandooqalwatan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sandooq Al Watan