Etihad Airways Launches Arab Hope Makers Channel

Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, has announced a dedicated channel on its E-BOX entertainment system to showcase Arab Hope Makers, broadcasting a new series of films every three months.

Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial at Etihad Airways, said, "This is part of Etihad Airways’ strategy to share valued Arab customs and culture with the world and to bring people closer to each other by promoting wider cultural understanding. We will dedicate a channel of our inflight entertainment system, available on the personal screens of all Etihad Airways guests, to present the inspirational stories of the Arab Hope Makers every three months.”
The Arab Hope Makers initiative, part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives, was launched in February 2017 with the aim of shedding light on the flashes of hope in the Arab world. The initiative honours people who have worked in a spirit of dedication to serve their communities, providing them both with recognition and funding to enable them to enhance their contributions to the building of their communities and their prosperity.
A major force in global aviation, Etihad Airways connects the world via Abu Dhabi. The airline seeks to reflect its values of Arabian hospitality and warmth- as well as enhance the reputation of Abu Dhabi as world class business and leisure destination. Last year almost 19 million passengers travelled with Etihad Airways.
The E-BOX Hope Makers channel on the Etihad Airways fleet will showcase the stories of the five Arab Hope Makers awarded in May 2017, when His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, selected them from over 65,000 people who took part in the initiative.

Ma’ali Al Asousi, has dedicated her life to the people of Yemen, with her ‘Tamkeen’ development project. Hisham Al Dahabi opened his heart and home to the street children of Baghdad, opening ‘The Iraqi House of Creativity’. Majda Gibran, better known in Egypt as “Mama Maggie”, has given her life to helping over 33,000 children in Cairo’s slums achieve their potential. Nawal Al Sufi helps refugees fleeing the war in Syria, enabling over 200,000 refugees reach the shores of Italy safely. The White Helmets, the Syrian Civil Defence, consists of some 2,000 volunteers who try to save lives in the wake of that country’s conflict. In saving over 85,000 people, they have themselves lost over 190 of their number. 
The Arab Hope Makers initiative is a reflection of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision to ignite hope throughout the region and to promote the value of optimism throughout the Arab World. The initiative was launched through Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s social media channels in late February 2017. It triggered an unprecedented reaction, receiving over 65,000 submissions through various channels, which were assessed with specific criteria including originality, size of impact and amount of effort exerted by the hope makers. The original submissions were narrowed down to 20 finalists, who were invited to Dubai in April 2017 to discuss their humanitarian work further. The initiative highlights the flashes of hope in the Arab World, and tells the stories of the women and men who devote their lives to those in need
The Arab Hope Makers initiative aims to spread message of hope across the region in order to reignite optimism and confidence within the Arab World. It targeted young citizens specifically, aiming to inspire youth to embrace humanitarianism and dedicate their time to serving others, and to spreading hope.