UNHCR Honours Sheikh Thani as an Eminent Advocate

In October 2019, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) honoured Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah bin Thani Al Thani with the title of “Eminent Advocate” in recognition of his exceptional humanitarian contributions to forcibly displaced people and refugee communities worldwide.

The recognition followed his landmark Zakat contribution in April 2019 to support approximately 875,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and internally displaced people in Yemen. The contribution represented the largest donation ever received by UNHCR from an individual donor and the first Zakat contribution of its kind in the organisation’s history.

Between 2019 and 2022, Sheikh Thani continued to support humanitarian programmes benefiting nearly three million vulnerable internally displaced persons, refugees and host communities across Yemen, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Chad. His contributions helped provide essential assistance, including food, shelter, healthcare, education and livelihood opportunities.

This recognition reflects his outstanding commitment to humanitarian action and his significant contribution to improving the lives of millions of displaced and vulnerable people around the world.