HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minster of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai issued Law number 3 of 2015, establishing the UAE Water Aid Foundation as a non-profit organisation as a legal entity that is able to carry out its mission to achieve its objectives. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is responsible for this foundation.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also issued Decree number 8 of 2015 forming the Board of Trustees of the UAE Water Aid Foundation, chaired by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of DEWA and membership of representatives from Ministry of International Cooperation and Development, UAE Red Crescent Authority, UAE University, Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, and two representatives from DEWA. The Board of Trustees is valid for three renewable years.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum established the UAE Water Aid Foundation with the noble intention of enhancing the global position of the UAE and supporting countries world around the world by coordinating humanitarian efforts and initiatives to improve the living conditions of poor and disaster-stricken areas, and achieve the sustainable development of all humanity. It also shares international efforts to provide potable clean water, and fight water-related diseases that threaten lives, said HE Mohammed Saeed Al Tayer, MD&CEO of DEWA.

As defined by Law number 3 of 2015, the objectives of the UAE Water Aid Foundation include bolstering the UAEs contribution as a key player in implementing humanitarian efforts to improve the living conditions of poor and affected communities and achieve sustainable development. The Foundation also supports humanitarian organisations in the UAE and inform and update them about humanitarian emergencies. It also supports international efforts to provide clean drinking water, fight water-related diseases that threaten human lives, and protect water from biological and chemical pollutants.
The UAE Water Aid Foundation works to provide potable water to the needy, the disadvantaged, and those who are in distress around the world. It provides them with the basics of a decent life and contributes to finding permanent and sustainable solutions to water scarcity around the world. This is done using the latest technologies, desalinating water using solar power, and providing new and innovative technological solutions for communities that suffer from scarcity and pollution of drinking water.

In June 2014, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the UAE Water Aid Suqia campaign to provide access to fresh drinking water for 5 million people around the world. The campaign surpassed its target, achieving over AED180 million, enough to provide water to over 7 million people around the world.