“Donate Your Device 2.0” achieved 70% of its goal in record time

The “Donate Your Device” campaign, implemented by the Digital School, one of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global initiatives, recorded a qualitative achievement and remarkable progress in its second edition, with broad community interaction, achieving 70% of its target of 100,000 electronic devices in record time, exceeding the first edition’s target of 50,000 devices.

The “Donate Your Device 2.0” campaign, which was launched in August 2025 in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent Authority and with the participation of more than 140 government, private and educational institutions in the country, aims to collect 100,000 used electronic devices, which are refurbished, recycled and distributed to students in several countries from different continents, within a comprehensive vision that combines education, humanitarian work and environmental sustainability, which has strengthened its position as one of the most important global initiatives in spreading digital learning and empowering students in less fortunate communities.

Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Digital School, confirmed that the successes achieved by the campaign embody the vision of the UAE, and reflect the directions of its wise leadership in harnessing technology and digital knowledge as effective tools for human and societal empowerment, which contributes to expanding access to digital education globally, and establishes a sustainable approach that combines innovation and societal impact.
He added that the initiative represents a pioneering model of effective partnerships between the government, the private sector, and society, which supports the building of flexible digital educational systems that keep pace with global transformations and empower less fortunate communities with the tools of the future.

For his part, Dr. Hamdan Musallam Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Red Crescent Authority and member of the Board of Directors of the Digital School, confirmed that the “Donate Your Device” initiative continues to establish a pioneering Emirati model that combines humanitarian and development work and environmental sustainability, noting that the advanced results achieved by the campaign reflect society’s awareness and commitment to the values ​​of giving and social responsibility. He said: “This initiative is not limited to providing devices, but rather contributes to empowering students in less fortunate communities with opportunities for qualitative digital education, which enhances their educational journey and opens future horizons.”

He added: “The strategic partnership between the Emirates Red Crescent Authority and the Digital School reflects the integration of efforts to expand the scope of impact, not only in supporting education, but also in consolidating the concepts of sustainability through reuse and recycling, which contributes to protecting the environment and achieving sustainable development goals,” stressing that the Authority will continue its support for these qualitative initiatives, and work with its partners to expand the umbrella of their beneficiaries regionally and internationally, in a way that enhances the UAE’s position as a global model in employing innovation to serve humanity.

The “Donate Your Device” campaign, which the digital school launched its first edition in 2023 within the “Year of Sustainability” in the UAE, embodies a pioneering Emirati model that combines human innovation and environmental sustainability. The devices collected through the campaign, weighing about 320 metric tons, contributed to achieving a tangible environmental impact, represented by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 320 tons, saving more than 1.5 million kilowatts of energy, in addition to reducing fuel consumption by more than 460 thousand liters, and reducing electronic waste by the equivalent of more than 90 thousand square meters of area.

The campaign relies on an integrated system that begins with collecting and classifying devices, then renewing the useful ones through data scanning, maintenance and rehabilitation according to the highest standards, while the unusable ones are recycled in environmentally safe ways. The devices are provided within a comprehensive model that includes equipping digital halls, training teachers, and providing educational content, to ensure the sustainability of the educational impact.

In terms of deployment, the renewed devices reached a number of countries, including Jordan, Mauritania, Lebanon, and Egypt, in addition to supporting schools within the country, while the second version included shipping 1,050 computers to Lesotho, Namibia, and Angola, in support of equipping 30 schools with integrated digital learning spaces, in cooperation with the ministries of education in those countries, to implement an integrated model that includes digitizing curricula, building teachers’ capabilities, and strengthening partnerships that support digital education.

The initiative also contributed to building a system of integrated logistical partnerships, which included cooperation with national companies in the shipping sector, which contributed to reducing the costs of transporting devices and accelerating their arrival to beneficiaries.

The campaign is being implemented in partnership with the Emirates Red Crescent Authority and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and in cooperation with Ecicles as an implementing partner, within an integrated system that aims to transform used electronic devices into effective educational tools that enable students in less fortunate communities to access qualitative digital education.

Individuals and community organizations can participate in the initiative by donating used electronic devices or making financial donations, through official channels in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent, or through the campaign’s website www.donateyourowndevice.org. They can also contribute by sending a text message (SMS) to the number 2441 for “Etisalat from E&T” subscribers, or to 3551 for “Du” subscribers.

The “Digital School”, which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him”, in November 2020, is the first accredited digital school of its kind, as its services have reached more than 850,000 beneficiaries in 40 countries. It offers its programs in seven languages, in partnership with international governments, organizations and universities, and is academically accredited by the NEASC in the United States of America.