Earlier in 2017, al-Dhahabi was recognized in Dubai at the Arab Hope Makers Ceremony, an event honoring the Arab world's most inspirational leaders who have dedicated their lives to helping the less fortunate and bettering their communities. He was among five people awarded a prize of 1 million UAE dirhams (about 272,000 US dollars) to continue their philanthropic efforts. Al-Dhahabi plans to use the prize money to finance construction of the organization's new facilities.