Emirates.PHOTO; Courtesy
Children and communities in Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe are among those set to benefit from AED 8.8 million (US$2.4 million) raised through a global charity auction organised by the Emirates Airline Foundation in partnership with Emirates Auction, aimed at expanding humanitarian programmes for underprivileged children worldwide.
The funds were generated through a month-long auction held from 17 December 2025 to 17 January 2026, which attracted more than 900 bids from participants across 131 countries.
The initiative combined philanthropy with exclusivity, offering bidders a rare opportunity to secure elite Emirates Skywards Platinum membership numbers while contributing to humanitarian causes.
Proceeds from the auction will allow the Emirates Airline Foundation to launch new projects and expand existing programmes delivered in collaboration with 14 non-governmental organisations across nine countries.
Current initiatives support children and families through education, healthcare, nutrition, and community development programmes in countries including Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, the Philippines and Brazil.
A total of seven rare Emirates Skywards membership numbers, each carrying Platinum tier status benefits, were offered to bidders globally.
Organisers said the international participation highlighted the broad reach of Emirates’ loyalty programme and the global willingness to support humanitarian initiatives when paired with innovative fundraising approaches.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline and Chairman of the Emirates Airline Foundation, said the initiative was created to explore new ways of scaling the Foundation’s humanitarian impact.
He noted that the exclusivity and long-term value of the Platinum Skywards memberships played a key role in attracting strong interest from bidders.
“When we brought this initiative to life in December, we were guided by a simple objective to look at new, innovative ways to grow the Foundation’s humanitarian work and impact,” Clark said.
“What made this initiative so compelling wasn’t just the exclusivity of the membership numbers, but the value and prestige that comes with Platinum status.”
Clark described the response as extraordinary and a reflection of the generosity of Emirates’ global community.
He added that the funds raised would enable the Foundation to partner with more organisations, reach new communities, and strengthen existing programmes already transforming the lives of hundreds of children.
“For the children at the heart of our work, this generosity will make a real and lasting difference,” he said.
The highest single bid reached AED 1.6 million during the one-month bidding period, underscoring the strong appeal of the premium loyalty status.
Two bidders secured 20-year Platinum memberships, while five others won 15-year memberships.
Successful bidders represented a diverse global audience, with top bids coming from the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, India, the United States, Pakistan, France, Germany, Egypt, and Thailand, among others.
Following the success of the initiative, the Emirates Airline Foundation and Emirates Auction confirmed that the charity auction will become an annual event.
The move is intended to provide a recurring platform for supporters worldwide to contribute to humanitarian causes while receiving something of tangible value in return.
Abdullah Matar Al Mannai, Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates Auction, welcomed the results, describing them as evidence of what can be achieved through collaboration, innovation and purpose-driven partnerships.
“We are pleased with the outstanding results achieved by this auction,” Al Mannai said.
“Supporting charitable and humanitarian initiatives has always been a core part of our mission, particularly when it comes to institutions with a global humanitarian outlook such as the Emirates Airline Foundation.”
Both organisations said they look forward to building on the success of the initiative in the years ahead, with a shared commitment to advancing humanitarian causes and delivering sustainable, long-term impact for children and communities around the world.
