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Ramadan in UAE: 55,000 meals distributed to Dubai workers, thanks to Facebook, Carrefour

Led by the UAE Food Bank, the initiative was part of a mission to encourage social responsibility and minimise waste while helping those in need

Just before the holy month of Ramadan draws to a close, the UAE Food Bank has tied up with Meta's Facebook platform and Majid Al Futtaim's Carrefour for a grand meal distribution.

Around 720 food baskets — which are equivalent to 55,000 meals — were recently distributed to blue-collar workers in Dubai’s Al Quoz neighbourhood.

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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