GOALKEEPERS ABU DHABI: IMAGINE THE POSSIBLE
PROJECT: GOALKEEPERS 2025
PARTNERS: GATES FOUNDATION,
MOHAMED BIN ZAYED FOUNDATION FOR HUMANITY
The Brief
Imagine a world where we’ve eradicated polio, ended malaria, and where every mother and child has the opportunity for a healthy life. A world that’s healthier, more prosperous and more equal for all. The possibilities are endless. Let’s imagine them together.
We partnered with the Gates Foundation and Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity (MBZfH) to deliver the first ever Goalkeepers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). We convened global leaders, philanthropists, civil society, advocates, healthcare workers and more on Monday 8th December at Manarat al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, in the wake of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The event focused on ending preventable maternal and child deaths and infectious diseases such as malaria and polio, and aimed to galvanise increased partnerships and commitments to accelerate progress in maternal & child health and eradicating preventable disease. We were also briefed with championing the voices of those from the MENA region, and the South-South collaborations driving progress forwards.
The Approach
INSPIRATION
Alongside the Gates Foundation and MBZfH, we produced an evening show that blended global health advocacy with a celebration of the UAE’s progress in maternal & child health & eradicating infectious diseases.
To ensure that the event felt deeply rooted in the host country, we incorporated regional touchpoints throughout the creative direction. We took inspiration from cultural textures and patterns to inspire the screen visuals.
HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, was awarded with a Goalkeepers Lifetime Achievement Award for her work on health and gender equality for women and children in the UAE and beyond.
We worked with David Oyelowo, a Nigerian British actor, and Dubai Abulhoul, a young Emirati woman and founder of the Fiker Institute, to host Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi. We worked closely with both David and Dubai on powerful scripting, ensuring that their personal passion for the theme shone through.
We collaborated with Nigerian musician Adekunle Gold and Abu Dhabi based orchestra Bait Al Oud to craft a unique “south- south” musical journey, fusing traditional middle eastern sounds with afrobeats, celebrating the cultural and developmental partnerships between Global South countries.
Throughout the show, we highlighted the incredible scientists, healthcare workers, and advocates who form the backbone of progress in maternal & child health- using demos, storytelling and captivating keynote speeches to bring their dedication to life.
The evening rounded out with a compelling conversation between CNN’s Becky Anderson, Bill Gates and H.E Reem Al Hashimy, grounding the evening in a discussion about the future of global health and the importance of cross- border collaboration.
The Results
TITLE AREA
- The event helped to establish MBZfH as a philanthropic force in the MENA region and beyond.
- We brought Goalkeepers to the MENA region for the first time, reaching new audiences and inspiring new commitments and progress in global health.
- Goalkeepers followed a pledge by global leaders, including Gates Foundation and MBZfH, of 1.9 billion dollars towards eradicating polio once and for all. Becky Anderson, Bill Gates and H E Reem Al Hashimy reiterated the outcomes and importance of this incredible pledge on stage at Goalkeepers.