Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi
Imagine the possible
The challenge
Imagine a future where preventable disease no longer holds people back
Extraordinary progress has been made in maternal and child health and in tackling infectious diseases including malaria and polio. But maintaining that momentum requires continued investment, partnership and global collaboration.
The challenge was to bring new voices and new audiences into that conversation, while celebrating the increasingly important role of the MENA region and South-South partnerships in driving global health progress.
The idea
Bring Goalkeepers to the MENA region for the first time
Project Everyone partnered with the Gates Foundation and Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity to create the first Goalkeepers event in the Middle East and North Africa.
Under the theme Imagine the Possible, the event combined powerful storytelling, live performance, cultural collaboration and global health advocacy to show what can be achieved when people work together across borders.
what happened
A global story, rooted in the region
At Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, global leaders, philanthropists, scientists, healthcare workers and advocates came together for an evening celebrating progress and looking ahead to what is still possible.
Hosted by David Oyelowo and Dubai Abulhoul, the show incorporated Emirati and regional culture throughout. Nigerian musician Adekunle Gold and Abu Dhabi’s Bait Al Oud created a unique musical collaboration blending Afrobeats with traditional Middle Eastern sounds, while scientists and healthcare workers brought the human stories behind global health progress to life.
The evening also honoured HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak with a Goalkeepers Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to health and gender equality.
Result
$1.9BN
pledged by global leaders towards eradicating polio
1st
Goalkeepers event held in the MENA region
2
Global Foundations partnered to deliver the event
1
Goalkeepers Lifetime Achievement Award presented