ABU DHABI, 27th November, 2025 (WAM) -- The first edition of the Impact Summit 2025 was held today in Abu Dhabi, organised by Majra –National CSR Fund, under the theme "Unifying the Common Good of the Nation".

The event was attended by Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Majra.

The summit saw wide participation from ministers, senior officials, CEOs, CSR and sustainability leaders, representatives of government entities, the private sector, non-profit institutions, academics, youth leaders and People of Determination, in addition to investors.

The Summit aligns with Majra’s role as the federal entity responsible for establishing the regulatory framework for corporate social responsibility and sustainable impact in the UAE, serving as the federal enabler of sustainable and high-impact projects that enhance economic empowerment, environmental preservation and social prosperity, by unifying the efforts of government entities, private-sector companies and community organisations under the umbrella of social responsibility.

The Summit, the first of its kind in the UAE, aims to redefine the ecosystem of the sustainable impact economy in the country and entrench the concept of shared value by aligning the efforts of various sectors to direct community contributions toward national-priority projects, in line with the vision of the UAE leadership and the country’s positioning in CSR and sustainability.

During his opening remarks, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri announced the launch of the "UAE Companies for Good 2031" Strategy as a comprehensive national framework to enhance private-sector contributions to sustainable development and direct CSR efforts toward the common good of the nation as part of an integrated sustainable-impact economy in the UAE.

Al Marri explained that the strategy is based on the "Strategic Compass Approach", which represents a comprehensive federal framework guiding CSR and sustainability pathways in the private sector. This approach supports long-term sustainable planning, strengthens corporate governance systems, and activates integration among government entities, companies, the third sector and social entrepreneurs (the fourth sector). It also enables companies to enhance their capabilities and adopt clear and transparent CSR and impact-measurement methodologies.

Al Marri noted that Majra continues to play a key enabling role in this ecosystem through developing new tools and mechanisms to support companies and encouraging them to participate in national strategic programmes, offering incentives that promote commitment and participation in sustainable-impact initiatives, including through the Sustainable Impact Digital Portal launched by the Fund to enable companies to document their contributions and submit the institutional Impact Declaration in line with clear sustainable-impact criteria.

He highlighted the importance of activating Majra’s governance mechanism, represented by the Sustainable Impact Committees chaired by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in each emirate.

He explained that a gradual linkage is being studied between the institutional Impact Declaration and the renewal of private-sector commercial licences, reflecting the UAE’s direction to enhance transparency and entrench CSR disclosure practices in the private sector, and to support the transition toward an innovative human-centred impact economy aligned with We the UAE 2031 and the UN SDGs 2030.

Al Marri added that launching this strategy represents a qualitative step to position the private sector as a strategic partner in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, affirming that the impact economy is a natural extension of the UAE leadership’s vision of building a sustainable economy driven by people, serving society, and balancing economic growth with maximising social and environmental impact.

Majra continues to strengthen cooperation with local entities, including Abu Dhabi’s Authority of Social Contribution (Ma’an) and Dubai’s Jood Foundation.

In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri affirmed that the Impact Summit 2025 contributes to building an economy that values community-centred development.

On the sidelines of the Summit, he said that declaring 2025 as the Year of Community and the upcoming 2026 as the Year of Family reflects the leadership’s strong commitment to the community sector.

He explained that the idea of the Impact Summit is to transform and direct the private sector not only to view the economic sector as a profit-making one but also as a sector that generates social impact.

He affirmed that the Summit aims to clarify objectives and launch a clear 2031 strategy for the private sector with well-defined initiatives and strategies to implement this plan, noting that the Summit witnessed the signing of several agreements with private, government, third-sector and fourth-sector entities.

He pointed out that the Summit focuses on building a system that affects the economic sector, adding that the goal of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in cooperation with Majra is to build a bridge connecting economic activity with impact on key sectors.

He further explained that the private sector has many vital community projects and investments, but they require further structuring and development into clear, defined projects.