Al Jalila Foundation’s first NFT fundraiser to raise funds for medical research

Dubai: Al Jalila Foundation, a non-profit healthcare organization dedicated to transforming lives through medical innovation, and a member of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, today announced that it has launched the first ever collection of Non-Fungible Tokens ( NFTs ) by a charity in the UAE.

The collection, titled ‘A Fingerprint on Humanity’, is the brainchild of visionary Emirati artist Maisoon Al Saleh and aims to raise awareness and generate funds for patients affected by life-threatening diseases in the UAE.

Dr. Amer Al Zarooni, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation, said: “In line with the Dubai Metaverse strategy to become a global hub for the metaverse community, we are proud to be the first healthcare charity in the UAE to accept donations in cryptocurrencies, bridging the gap between physical and digital currency. Our first NFT collection, “A Fingerprint of Humanity”, encourages our donor community to make a positive impact on patients. This initiative is part of our ongoing efforts to foster innovation within our fundraising channels and give donors around the world the convenience of supporting our health programs.”

The collection consists of five unique NFTs, with each NFT illustrated as a letter containing its most precious content: “hope”. Each letter represents a specific cause, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health and obesity. Taking inspiration from Al Jalila Foundation’s groundbreaking donor recognition wall, ‘Bassmat Rashid Bin Saeed’, Maisoon has incorporated a fingerprint on each wax seal that adorns the letters. The fingerprint symbolizes the lasting impact each individual can have on society.

Each NFT in the collection is color-coded to highlight a specific cause, and 100% of the proceeds from the sale of each NFT will go to support the Al Jalila Foundation. By owning one of these exclusive NFTs, collectors can establish a legacy and contribute positively to society, one NFT at a time.

Maisoon said: “I encourage artists to use their creative talents to support a charitable cause. My association with the Al Jalila Foundation dates back to 2014 when I curated an art exhibition that led to the creation of this series of NFT.

The NFT collection was unveiled at Arts DAO Fest, a cutting-edge cultural festival celebrating digital art and internet culture, bringing together worldwide industry experts and leaders. The festival was organized by the Dubai-based Arts DAO, which represents the Middle East’s most comprehensive web3 community.

Anas Bhurtun, co-founder and CEO of Arts DAO, said: “We are delighted to have Al Jalila Foundation as a charity partner for Arts DAO Fest. Innovation is the driving force behind Arts DAO and when we learned that Al Jalila Foundation would be the the first charity to issue NFTs to raise funds for patient care and medical research, we knew we had to introduce them to the web3 community we’ve established here in the Middle East.”

The NFT collection is currently for sale on OpenSea in Ethereum and ftNFT Marketplace in UAE Dirham.

Vigen Badalyan, co-founder of ftNFT, commented: “We are honored to have been chosen as the platform of choice by Al Jalila Foundation to unveil the UAE’s first charitable NFT. Our distinctive platform enables our clients to purchase NFTs in the UAE Dirham, something that sets us apart from others. We are happy to be a part of such initiatives that make a significant contribution to society.”

NFTs are digital assets that represent ownership or proof of authenticity of a unique item or content such as art, music, videos or even tweets. They are based on blockchain technology and can be bought and sold like traditional assets, but they are separable and cannot be exchanged for each other, hence the name “non-fungible.” NFTs have gained popularity in recent years as a way for artists and creators to monetize their digital creations and for collectors to own unique digital assets.