The Sri Lankan Welfare Association in Dubai was formed in June 2012 as a voluntary association with the core focus of assisting the deserving needy Sri Lankan expatriates in UAE, irrespective of their individual status or background. The importance of a Sri Lankan welfare association to look after the interests of approximately 300,000 Sri Lankans living in the UAE came to light with an acid incident that occurred in May 2012. The heart wrenching acid story of an innocent Sri Lankan mother of a baby boy, living and working in Dubai shook the very core of all Sri Lankans in Dubai, when it dawned on them the importance of looking after the welfare and interests of the Sri Lankan expatriate community. As a result, eleven Sri Lankan associations in UAE joined hands on the 8th of June 2012 to form a unified Sri Lankan community group called the Sri Lankan Welfare Association (SLWA), now commonly known as SAHANA.