The Department of Community Development in Abu Dhabi (DCD) has called on individuals interested in volunteer work in the emirate to obtain a licence by registering through the dedicated online platform, volunteers.ae/abudhabi. The portal has been launched by the Department in cooperation with the Emirates Foundation and the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an.
The move follows the launch of a volunteer licensing service by the DCD to organise the sector, and bolster community engagement.
His Excellency Mubarak Salem Al Ameri, Acting Executive Director of Social Licensing & Control Sector at DCD, said: “The licensing service complements our effort to foster an enabling ecosystem for volunteers, who are keen to contribute to Abu Dhabi’s social development. This step protects the rights and defines the duties of all volunteers’ individual citizens and residents, teams and institutions.”
H.E. Al Ameri pointed out that the licensing service supplements DCD’s organisational efforts to achieve the key objectives to promote social awareness and raising the standard of living in Abu Dhabi. He also noted that the licensing service would help DCD to increase the efficiency of volunteers while fostering a volunteering ecosystem in the emirate.
Obtaining a license is a prerequisite for those seeking to do volunteer work in Abu Dhabi as the emirate aims to and define the rights, duties and responsibilities of various stakeholders through a legal and regulatory framework.
Nine types of sectors have been opened to volunteering in Abu Dhabi. They include traditional, social, emergency, event, virtual, guest, institutional, specialised, and overseas volunteering. The emirate issues three types of licenses, including individual and team licenses, apart from a special one issued to a group comprising five or more individuals that wants to volunteer without affiliation to a specific entity or institution. In addition, there is a license for authorised public, private and third-sector institutions that wish to involve volunteers in their operations or programmes.
Applicants are required to complete a form and attach required documents online. All documents will be subsequently reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Failing to meet conditions will result in rejection. Those who are eligible will receive the license via e-mail.