Dubai: Two key supporters — JETEX and talabat — have announced on Friday their contributions for the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to launch the largest Ramadan sustainable food aid endowment fund.
talabat UAE, the region’s leading online food delivery and q-commerce platform, and executive aviation company JETEX, announced their support for the campaign.
For talabat, it marks the second year the company has given it support for the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign’s efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition around the world.
Talabat now enables its users to easily and safely donate through its platform with donation values starting from Dh10, Dh50, Dh100, Dh300 or Dh500.
For their part, Dubai-based global leader in executive aviation JETEX also announced their contribution of Dh5 Million over the next 5 years in support of the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign.
Adel Mardini, Founder & CEO JETEX, said the contribution is part of a remarkable response by individuals, institutions and businesses alike, who supported the campaign, organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives with the aim to provide a food safety net for underprivileged populations, and to help fight hunger to support vulnerable groups around the world.
Social Responsibility
Mardini said: “The response seen by the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign reflects values of giving and solidarity long held in the UAE community. Our contribution is part of our commitment to social responsibility and to supporting humanitarian efforts in the UAE, which are not limited to this region but extend across the globe, spreading the spirit of tolerance and human solidarity.
"It also reflects the truly global reach of JETEX, as we expand our reach and take the brand to more locations across the world.”
Culture of Philanthropy
Tatiana Rahal, Managing Director at talabat UAE, commented: “We are thankful to collaborate with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) to support the “1 Billion Meals” campaign for the second year in a row, with a focus on endowment this Ramadan.
“The campaign highlights the values of giving and generosity the nation’s leaders have instilled in its people, as well as their relentless efforts to offer aid and food assistance for underprivileged communities around the world.”
She added: “As an industry leader, we feel a sense of responsibility to lead by example by harnessing our tech for good, and we are grateful to MBRGI for the opportunity to participate in providing a sustainable solution to tackle food security, which has been driving talabat’s corporate responsibility efforts. It is through joint efforts with our trusted charity partners that we are able to create lasting impact and we look forward to our continued collaboration.”
Development tool
The “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign builds on the success of previous food aid campaigns starting with “10 Million Meals” campaign in Ramadan 2020, which exceeded its target and provided 15.3 million meals.
This was followed in Ramadan 2021 by “100 Million Meals” campaign which doubled its target and distributed 220 million meals, thanks to the contributions of 385,000 donors from 51 nationalities.
Later, “1 Billion Meals” campaign launched in Ramadan 2022 and hit its target in under a month, providing meals in 50 countries around the world with the support of 320,868 donors.
The campaign aims to revive the culture of endowment as a tool for development, and a contributor to the global endeavor to eradicate hunger in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Donation Channels
The “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign welcomes donations and contributions to the endowment fund from institutions and individuals across five main channels including the campaign’s website (www.1billionmeals.ae), as well as a dedicated call center via the toll free number (800 9999).
Donations are also possible via bank transfers in the UAE dirham to the campaign bank account number with Emirates NBD (AE30 0260 0010 1533 3439 802).
Donations via SMS give contributors the option to donate Dh1 daily through a monthly subscription, by sending the word “Meal” to 1020 for du users, or to 1110 for Etisalat by e& users.
Those who wish to donate to the campaign through the DubaiNow app can do so by clicking on the “Donations” tab.
Donating via talabat App
talabat users can donate to the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign by either typing “1 Billion Meals” in the search bar or clicking on the “Give back” option under ‘Shortcuts’ on the homepage, then selecting the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” option.
The talabat application can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or iOS App store or Huawei AppGallery.
Other donation channels
In addition to the option to donate through the talabat app, the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign continues to welcome donations and contributions to the endowment fund from institutions and individuals across five main channels including the campaign’s website (www.1billionmeals.ae), as well as a dedicated call center via the toll free number (800 9999).
