Dubai: The UAE Food Bank, which is a part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, collaborated with Meta’s Facebook platform to distribute approximately 720 food baskets, which are equivalent to 55,000 meals, to blue-collar workers in Dubai’s Al Quoz neighbourhood. The food baskets were generously provided by Carrefour, a brand represented by Majid Al Futtaim.
This initiative was aligned with the UAE Food Bank’s mission to encourage social responsibility among its partners and the community while simultaneously achieving its goals of managing surplus food, minimising waste, and providing food to those in need, both within and beyond the UAE. The initiative also aimed to increase awareness about the charitable and humanitarian efforts of the Food Bank.
Solidarity in society
Dawoud Al Hajri, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UAE Food Bank, said: “The UAE Food Bank’s endeavours reflect the generosity of the people of the UAE, embodying the principles of kindness, magnanimity, compassion, and solidarity in society. This initiative also emphasised the significance of feeding the hungry during the holy month of Ramadan.”
Al Hajri added: “The bank strives to collaborate with partners from diverse entities and organisations to improve humanitarian, charitable, and volunteer efforts while also seeking to provide food to a large number of beneficiaries, both locally and globally. This is accomplished by planning and managing surplus food safely, minimising waste, and creating a bountiful and sustainable environment and food supply.”
Strong commitment
Sheila Chaiban, Chief Marketing Officer at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, expressed her pride in collaborating closely with the UAE Food Bank and Meta to implement this humanitarian initiative. “The initiative is aligned with Carrefour’s values and strong commitment to serve the community and encourage solidarity among its members. We are happy that this initiative during the holy month brought happiness to the deserving.”
Moon Baz, Creator Partnerships Lead for Africa, Middle East, and Turkey at Meta, emphasised the importance of interaction, charitable work, and community harmony during the holy month of Ramadan. “As part of Meta’s “Ramadan Al Khair” campaign this year, we aim to create more opportunities for performing good deeds and celebrating the essence of the month. The partnership with UAE Food Bank reinforces our commitment to reaching out to needy groups and offering them support through material and in-kind donations, ensuring that the community as a whole can experience the true meaning of this blessed month.”
300 food baskets
Around 300 food baskets, containing a variety of groceries, were delivered to the UAE Food Bank headquarters for distribution among blue-collar workers while another 420 food baskets were directly delivered to their accommodations. The UAE Food Bank has introduced various initiatives during the month of Ramadan to provide high-quality food to those in need, promoting efficient management of surplus food, and reducing food waste. These efforts are intended to raise public awareness about the importance of minimising surplus and achieving zero food waste.
The UAE Food Bank has joined forces with food companies, kitchens, restaurants, and hotels to distribute meals daily through Iftar tents. These measures include the distribution of three million charity meals, in coordination with the UAE Red Crescent, hotels, and Iftar tents. The Bank also launched the “Your Harees on Us” initiative, aimed at collecting traditional Harees donations from large kitchens and distributing them to those in need during Ramadan.
