UAE Launches ‘1 Billion Readiness’ with Awards Up to Dh1 Million

The UAE has launched a major initiative called “1 Billion Readiness” which is to train one billion people worldwide in areas of fire safety and preparedness. The ‘1 Billion Readiness’ project created together with 34 countries and 16 of the largest firefighting organizations globally will be carried out in a three-year period, from 2025 to 2027, providing training on virtual courses intended to take prevention and response in firefighting.

His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, said it is one of the largest international campaigns on fire protection. He stated that the Hope Convoys initiative, one of the linchpins of the project, would deliver much-needed firefighting equipment and establish fire stations in developing countries in order to improve their preparedness in emergency situations.

“Through this initiative we aim to train one billion people around the world with knowledge for preventing and responding to fires,” said Sheikh Mansoor. “The Hope Convoys project will also strengthen ties between nations in the field of safety.”

It will be made available via digital platforms in various languages so that everyone can access it. Lieutenant General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, the General Director of Dubai Civil Defence, explained that the initiative involved awareness campaigns aimed at individuals, schools, government bodies, and the private sector.

To further engage participants in this activity, there are attractive awards for winners, including a cash prize of up to Dh1 million and a Nissan Patrol. The primary purpose of this initiative is to inform the public, and this is so particularly for the last months of havoc and chaos caused by such catastrophic events, e.

“It is important for people to know what to do during a time of fire,” said a Dubai Civil Defence official in the Intersec 2025 event. Free electronic certificates from the Global Wildfire Monitoring Centre and the Dubai Civil Defence Readiness Program attesting to the participants’ fire preparedness will be awarded upon completion of training.

This one is likely to have an enormous ripple effect, perhaps in setting the pace for saving lives and reducing the impact of fires in areas outside of the UAE.