Dubai Health announced that the ‘My Blood, for My Country’ campaign attracted 43,263 donors, with 39.5% donating blood for the first time. The increase follows the call by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management and Vice Chairman of the Dubai Health Board of Directors, encouraging individuals and organisations to support the campaign.
The announcement coincides with World Blood Donor Day, observed annually on 14 June, which this year is being marked under the theme ‘One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives’.
In November last year, His Highness donated blood in support of the campaign and its role in promoting a culture of voluntary blood donation across the community. He also encouraged all members of society to participate in order to further strengthen its impact.
Organised in partnership with Al Ameen Service, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Health, and Emarat Al Youm newspaper, the campaign aims to provide vital blood units for patients, ensure adequate supplies for the Thalassemia Centre, and foster a culture of giving.
Dr. Hiba Alhumaidan, Consultant and Chair of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Dubai Health, said His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed’s call for individuals and institutions to donate blood provided strong momentum for the campaign. She noted that it helped expand institutional and community participation and reflected the positive impact of His Highness’s support for humanitarian initiatives.
She added: “The campaign attracted 43,263 blood donors from 145 nationalities, resulting in the collection of 47,714 units of blood. This was achieved through 547 blood donation drives, including 89 organised in collaboration with government entities.”
She continued: “First-time and young donors continued to play a vital role in supporting our blood donation efforts. During the campaign, 17,093 individuals donated blood for the first time, while young donors contributed 15,126 donations. These figures reflect growing awareness of the importance of blood donation and its role in saving lives.”
Dr. Alhumaidan also highlighted that several government entities joined the campaign for the first time to organise blood donation drives. She explained that the expanding participation reinforces a shared national responsibility to sustain healthcare services and ensure blood banks are prepared to meet patients’ needs.
Sustained growth
Since its launch in 2012, the ‘My Blood, for My Country’ campaign has played a key role in promoting a culture of blood donation and strengthening social responsibility. In 2025, the campaign recorded significant growth across its key indicators, with the number of donors reaching 79,112 compared to 418 donors in its first year, reflecting steadily increasing community engagement.
The number of government entities involved in organising blood drives rose to 137 in 2025, up from three entities at the campaign’s inception. Youth participation has also grown steadily, reaching approximately 41% in 2025 compared to about 12% in the early years. This highlights the effectiveness of the campaign’s targeted approach to engaging young people and promoting blood donation as a healthy and responsible practice.
Campaign goals
The ‘My Blood, for My Country’ campaign aims to raise awareness and foster a culture of blood donation as an essential humanitarian and national act that reflects the values of solidarity and social responsibility. It encourages young people aged 18 to 30 to donate blood while promoting active participation by government entities in organising donation drives.
The campaign also seeks to attract new donors, particularly first-time donors, to expand the Donation Centre’s database, with special focus on individuals with rare blood types.
