Will 2017 really be the Year of Giving in the UAE?

Under the directives of the UAE’s President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, 2017 was declared as the Year of Giving in the country.

Next year will be the Year of Giving, the President, Sheikh Khalifa decreed  last week.

He pointed out that the next year will make a difference for every Emirati citizen's life.

The controversial declaration came amid local and international rights calls for political action and democratic reform in the Gulf country as the UAE authorities have expanded its crackdown on civil society and political activism during 2016.

The launch of the Year of Giving 2017 follows the conclusion of 2016 as Year of Reading during which a group of British writers and activists launched Think Twice campaign against the UAE Airline Festival for Literature.

The campaign has helped to highlight the oppression of free speech and human rights in the UAE.