New Delhi

Mumbai-born Indian businessman Firoz Merchant has donated AED 1 million (approximately Rs 2.25 crore) to the Dubai Charity Association to support kidney patients and release prisoners. 

Firoz, a philanthropist is the founder and chairman of Dubai's Pure Gold Group. The donation will be used for dialysis at the Dubai Charity Association and his initiative of paying the fines of prisoners who have served their terms in jails and have been languishing as they cannot pay the fines imposed on them. 

Khalid Al Olama, Member and Secretary General of the Dubai Charity Association, posted the story about Merchant's charity on Instagram. He thanked Feroz and said it would be of great help to the kidney patients. 

He said, “This donation is not just a financial contribution. It is a symbol of Pure Gold Group’s social responsibility and commitment to community welfare. We are proud of this Group’s collaboration. We are grateful for its continued support for humanitarian work in the UAE. This collaboration allows us to expand healthcare services and help more patients.” 

After donating to the Dubai Charity Association, Firoz Merchant said, “I would like to thank the Dubai Charity Association for their continued dedication to humanitarian causes. I believe that everyone has a fundamental right to access the best medical care in the world. I am happy that I could contribute to this community service.” 

Firoz Merchant's social work has made a big difference in the lives of many poor and vulnerable people. Firoz's 'Forgotten Society' initiative has freed more than 20,000 prisoners in the UAE since 2008. For this, he waived the prisoners' debts and arranged for them to fly back to their countries. In 2024, he gave crores of rupees to free 900 prisoners before Ramadan.

In 2017, he announced to provide an annual sum of US$130,790 to repatriate prisoners from the UAE to their home countries. Feroze is fulfilling his social responsibility by helping the needy in society. Mumbai-born Firoz Merchant is well known for his jewelry business and above all human service in the UAE. Each year before Ramazan, he gets prisoners who are languishing in jails after serving their terms but unable to pay the fines imposed by the Courts on them freed from the UAE’s jails.

Firoz set up 'The Forgotten Society' in 2008. Each years the society hands over a cewrtain amount to the UAE government as the cumulative fine amount for the release of prisoners

Merchant had to drop out of school due to financial difficulties and he moved to UAE where he worked and gradually established his business.

Firoz Merchant says he does this to ensure that the prisoners can return to their homes before Ramazan. 'The Forgotten Society' arranges tickets for the air travel of prisoners. Firoz Merchant, 66, is the owner ‘Pure Gold Jewellers which he set up in Dubai in 1989. He claims to live up to the name of his business and sell only quality jewelry to his customers.

Firoz Merchant says after becoming a brand and enjoying a monopoly on the jewelry market of Dubai and later Abu Dhabi, he wants to expand globally with his new design jewelry. 

All the exquisite gold-diamond designer jewelry of 'Pure Gold Jewellers' is available for sale online. 

While selling designer jewelry, one day Firoz Merchant thought of ​​freeing the prisoners lodged in various jails who don’t have a relative and resources to pay the fine imposed on them by the court as part of the punishment.

Due to his charity, 700 prisoners were released in 2019 and 900 the next year. Till a year ago his initiative has helped more than 20,000 prisoners.

Merchant says his deed is a message of humility, humanity, forgiveness, and kindness during Ramzan.