Today I announce the recipients of the 2026 Council for Australian-Arab Relations (CAAR) Grants Program, supporting ten projects that will strengthen Australia’s economic, cultural and people-to-people links with the Middle East and North Africa.
This year’s grants advance cooperation in areas of shared priority, including climate and clean energy, health, sport, gender equality, and social cohesion, while building trust and connections across a region of growing strategic and economic importance.
Among the selected projects are initiatives that will:
- Expand healthcare access in Lebanon via Australian telehealth innovation and digital health workforce development.
- Strengthen the capacity of Saudi medical professionals to manage work-related illnesses and diseases through joint training programs and academic partnerships.
- Enhance preparedness for respiratory disease outbreaks using AI-driven forecasting of health and economic impacts.
- Advance Australia-UAE marine conservation efforts through collaborative research, technology innovation, and expert exchange.
- Build animal disease surveillance and response capability in Oman with specialised epidemiology training for veterinarians.
Together, these projects showcase Australian expertise and deliver practical opportunities for collaboration and skills exchange.
I congratulate this year’s recipients. Their projects reflect the innovation and ambition that continues to shape Australia’s international engagement and create new opportunities for trade and investment.
Over the past decade, the CAAR Grants Program has invested more than $2.3 million in initiatives that strengthen ties between Australia and the Middle East and North Africa.
