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Dubai businessman donates Dh3 billion to build hospital in memory of daughter lost to cancer
The fund for the Fathers Endowment campaign will be used to build a non-profit hospital in UAE offering free and affordable care to patients, said Mirwais Azizi
- PUBLISHED: Sun 23 Feb 2025, 9:13 PM
A local businessman has announced a donation of approximately Dh3 billion to the Fathers Endowment campaign launched by the Dubai Ruler on February 21.
Mirwais Azizi, founder and chairman of the Azizi Group, donated the amount in memory of his daughter Farishta Azizi, who died after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
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The funds will be used to build a non-profit hospital in Dubai that will offer free and affordable care to cancer patients in the UAE. “The hospital will also include a research facility which will help introduce the latest technology in cancer treatment here,” he said, speaking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the Arab Hope Maker 2025, which took place in Dubai on Sunday. “People in the UAE will not have to go to Europe or any other place to get the best cancer treatment.“
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The hospital will be developed as part of a humanitarian medical complex comprising a research centre and a medical training facility. This marks the largest individual contribution ever from the UAE private sector for a humanitarian cause.
He said that construction of this hospital would begin this year and that similar hospitals would be constructed in several countries worldwide.
The Fathers Endowment initiative by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, honours fathers in the UAE by establishing a sustainable endowment fund, with proceeds dedicated to providing treatment and healthcare to people in need.
The campaign's launch continues Sheikh Mohammed's established practice of launching charitable and humanitarian initiatives during Ramadan.
An architect by training, Farishta Azizi was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. Even though she went into remission after initial treatments, the cancer returned aggressively.
Speaking through a video played at the event, her brother and CEO of the Azizi Group, Farhad Azizi, said that the family was able to give the best care to Farishta. “We were lucky enough to be able to give her the best medical care we could,” he said. “But we know not everyone is able to afford to do that. So, we hope this donation will help those who need it the most.”
The elder Azizi said: "My second daughter, Farishta, was diagnosed with cancer. A first round of treatment was successful then, about 7 months ago, her cancer relapsed and on October 29 last year, succumbing to the will of the Almighty, my dear Farishta passed away."
"We buried her here in Dubai – a home she had loved growing up. Farishta’s passing has also reignited my passion for charity work to help those in need. Sometimes it takes a loss of such magnitude to be reminded of the shared humanity that connects us all," he added.
Azizi also announced a $500 million donation to build a medical complex in Kabul, Afghanistan, where Farishta Azizi Medical City will be constructed. It will have a 400-bed cancer treatment center, 200-bed maternity and gynecology hospital, an orphanage accommodating up to 10,000 children, a medical university, a nursing school, and other essential facilities.
