UAE Food Bank’s Ramadan campaign reaches 7.3 million people, distributes 8.2 million meals

Dubai: The UAE Food Bank, part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), announced that it collected and distributed 8.2 million meals as part of its Ramadan campaign, ‘The Bank of Goodness in the Month of Goodness’. The campaign aimed to provide eight million meals to beneficiaries in the UAE and abroad during the holy month through five initiatives—Charity Fridge, My Home Without Waste, Meer Al Khair, Zabeel Iftar, and Recycle, Relife—delivered within an integrated framework for the sustainable management of surplus food. A total of 7.3 million individuals, including nearly 1.368 million families and more than 500,000 workers, benefited from the campaign. Approximately 6,645 volunteers supported the campaign initiatives. As part of its broader objectives, the food bank established 12 new partnerships, engaged more than 215 donor institutions and companies, and delivered 80 awareness programmes. The campaign also generated significant environmental and economic impact by diverting around 4.62 million surplus cooked meals and food parcels from landfills, reducing more than 4.693 million kg of carbon emissions, equivalent to planting 195,583 trees. The initiative focused on enhancing beneficiary wellbeing by expanding outreach efforts locally and internationally, strengthening partnerships with public and private sector entities to manage food surplus, promoting sustainability practices, reducing waste, and encouraging volunteerism and social responsibility. Sustainable humanitarian ecosystem Manal Bin Yaroof, Head of the Executive Team at the UAE Food Bank, said: “The results of the ‘Bank of Goodness in the Month of Goodness’ campaign reinforce the purpose‑driven vision on which the UAE Food Bank was founded—to serve as a sustainable humanitarian and charitable ecosystem that promotes giving while reducing food waste through the efficient management and redistribution of surplus food to those in need, in accordance with the highest quality standards. This strengthens the UAE’s and Dubai’s position in charitable and humanitarian work while reflecting the values of generosity and solidarity embedded in Emirati society. Our campaigns continue to support global initiatives to reduce hunger, create tangible and sustainable positive impact on communities, align with national efforts to strengthen food security, support the circular economy, and reduce food waste and carbon emissions.” As part of the Charity Fridge initiative, the food bank installed 25 refrigerators across residential communities and schools in coordination with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), benefiting 495,677 individuals. The initiative enabled the public to donate surplus food in an organised and safe manner, promoting community solidarity and sustainable food preservation. With the participation of partners and volunteers, the Meer Al Khair initiative distributed food parcels containing essential supplies to 6,843,544 beneficiaries, helping meet daily needs and strengthen food security while reflecting the values of compassion and solidarity. The food bank also organised Zabeel Iftar, a communal Iftar event serving 5,000 workers. The initiative embodied the values of compassion and community cohesion while reflecting the spirit of the holy month by promoting a culture of giving and social responsibility. As part of its sustainability and social responsibility efforts, the UAE Food Bank partnered with ne’ma, the UAE’s National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, on the Recycle, Relife initiative. The collaboration aims to enhance surplus food management efficiency, divert waste from landfills, support the circular economy, and reduce carbon emissions from organic waste. Enhancing community awareness Through this initiative, the food bank salvaged approximately 1.4 million kg of surplus food and near‑expiry products from the food service sector and retailers. These were redistributed to reach the largest possible number of beneficiaries while raising community awareness towards achieving zero food waste. The campaign included collecting surplus food from 87 hotels, representing a 142% increase compared to the previous year. Non‑consumable food was converted into 72,973 kg of organic agricultural compost to support local farmers, coordinated through the Reloop app by Ecyclex. These efforts diverted 364,863 kg of food waste from landfills and reduced 926,753 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to planting 38,615 trees. As a partner in the initiative, ne’ma reaffirmed its commitment to developing an enabling environment and an integrated, effective system that supports the national goal of reducing food loss and waste while advancing sustainability across the UAE. The My Home Without Waste initiative was one of the campaign’s awareness‑driven programmes, designed to promote food preservation and the responsible use of surplus meals through educational messages delivered by influencers. It enco