UAE | Heritage and Culture
Generous donations make Eid special for the needy
As Ramadan draws to a close, residents are donating generously to help the less-privileged enjoy Eid celebrations.
- By Syed Bilal Shafi, Staff Reporter
- Published: 01:18 September 30, 2008
- A man gives charity at the Union Co-operative Society supermarket on Al Wasl road.
- Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
Dubai: As Ramadan draws to a close, residents are donating generously to help the less-privileged enjoy Eid celebrations.
Separate tents set up in front of Union Co-operative Societies and containers allocated for charitable purposes at malls are being filled with goods, such as clothes, toys, books, mattresses, shoes, electronics and emergency and humanitarian items.
Several charitable associations such as Dar Al Bir, Bait Al Khair Society, Dubai Charity Association, Sharjah Charity Association, have set up stalls in supermarkets, and are collecting staple food items.
Many Muslims are also buying charity coupons, which will enable charity organisations to provide food for those in need.
Apart from regular charitable donations, Muslims are obligated to give Zakat Al Fitr, a kind of charity given towards the end of Ramadan.
This charity is generally given in the form of staple food that is used locally, whether it is wheat, rice, dates, lentils or barley. However, many Muslims donate other items as well.
Sameera Arbabi, Head of Media Department from Dubai Charity Association - an organisation that sets up tents - said: "Our tents are overflowing with donations from residents. We have already distributed 30,000 items worth Dh630,000 to the poor."
The tents are located in Al Twar, Al Safa, Mankhool and Manama areas.
"With the help of corporate sponsorship, the organisation also sent 10 poor people for the Umrah (voluntary pilgrimage to Makkah) this month," she said.
The Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services will provide Kiswah Al Eid (Eid clothes) to disabled people.
Share this article
Related Articles
-
Tuesday is first day of Eid Al Fitr
Tuesday is first day of Eid Al Fitr in UAE and Saudi Arabia
-
Eid shoppers swarm souqs, malls for gifts and gold
Eid shoppers swarm souqs, malls for gifts and gold
-
Dubai to give a traditional touch to festive celebrations
Dubai to give a traditional touch to festive celebrations
-
Residents prepare to celebrate Eid
People across the UAE preparing to celebrate Eid Al Fitr
-
Ramadan prayer times calendar
Click here to see the prayer timings for the whole month of Ramadan
-
Interactive: Ramadan, a time to reflect
An interactive guide to Ramadan, prayer times and etiquette
More from UAE Heritage & Culture
More from UAE
Popular in UAE
-
Have your say
Living in untidy homes
Do you think that people who live in untidy homes have bad character?
Latest news
- Khalifa congratulates Karzai on re-election
- Khalifa receives congratulatory call from Talabani
- Camel in RAK gives birth to twins
- Saif is appointed Emiratisation chief
- Pavement parking irks pedestrians
- Man jailed 3 years in fatal assault of colleague
- Murder: Mother gets stiffer sentence
- Traffic Prosecution adopts humanitarian step
- UAE starts administering H1N1 vaccines
- 'All-green' project to ease traffic flow
- Complaints against cab drivers decline
- Thalassaemia website 'will help educate youth'
- Dubai Police open centre to combat marine pollution
- Readers: Less water usage means less desalination
- No hike in water, electricity rates
Community Reports
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas
-
School buses block residential parking
Commercial vehicles taking up free parking facilities in Al Wuheida, inconveniencing residents in surrounding villas
-
Community report: Doing their bit for poor children
A group of students takes concrete action to raise funds for Dubai Cares
