COVID-19: Dubai maintains uninterrupted supply of food and non-food items amid coronavirus outbreak

Dubai: The Union Cooperative said it continues to meet the essential needs of the community by maintaining an uninterrupted supply of food and non-food items despite the challenges created by the COVID-19 outbreak. This comes in line with the UAE leadership’s directives to ensure food security, it said.

“Major food retailer Union Coop is keeping pace with the vital needs of the Dubai community, with stringent precautionary measures to safeguard the well-being of customers and employees,” Dubai Media Office tweeted. According to a press release by Dubai Media Office on Wednesday, the Union Coop was among the first entities to implement the precautionary measures issued by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Municipality and other entities involved in the fight against COVID-19. Despite the challenges in the current period, the Union Coop has expanded its home delivery service following the start of the round-the-clock sterilisation operations.

The Chairman of Union Coop Majid Hamad Rahma Al Shamsi said the organisation is fully committed to fulfilling its responsibility to ensure the continuous supply of food items under the guidance of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The Board of Directors of Union Coop said the organisation continues to be committed to providing services that exceed customer expectations and carry out its responsibilities regardless of the situation, he said.

Khalid Humaid bin Dhiban Al Falasi, CEO of the Union Cooperative, said: “We want to reassure the public that all food supplies, including fresh, canned, chilled and frozen items, continue to be available through our relationship with 50 suppliers worldwide.”

He further said that Union Coop has one of the largest warehouses in the world, which stores not only food items and groceries but also household goods. Union Coop ensures undisrupted supply of fresh products through contractual agreements worth Dh25 million that enable it to have adequate stock levels at its own and its suppliers’ warehouses.

Al Falasi further said the Cooperative has signed sales contracts for Ramadan goods worth Dh450 million to ensure that supply is abundant and customer needs are met.

The supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Dubai Economy ensures that customers are protected from unregulated price increases. The Union Coop continues to serve the community without being driven by commercial objectives, he emphasised.