The UAE Food Bank and "Ne'ma" Provide One Million Meals of Surplus Food to Needy Groups

The UAE Food Bank announced a strategic partnership with the National Initiative to Reduce Food Loss and Waste (Ne'ma) to enhance support for needy groups and contribute to environmental sustainability. This partnership aims to organize a pioneering initiative aimed at managing surplus food, reducing food waste, and delivering it to the largest possible number of targeted groups within the country. This initiative is part of the ongoing charitable and humanitarian initiatives during the holy month of Ramadan this year.

The initiative aims to provide one million surplus meals to needy groups in society during the holy month for the third consecutive year. This initiative falls within the framework of the UAE's vision to promote social and environmental responsibility, especially with the declaration of 2025 as the "Year of the Community."

The initiative includes cooperation with more than 75 hotel establishments to collect and distribute untouched food to needy groups. The Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai will participate in its implementation.

The initiative focuses on managing surplus food safely and effectively to reduce food waste. This is achieved by collecting surplus edible food from the bank and redistributing it to beneficiaries across the country. In addition, unused food is converted into oil and agricultural fertilizer in collaboration with the Reloop app from E-Cycles International, a recycling company. This contributes to environmental conservation and supports the principles of the circular economy.

Kholoud Hassan Al Nowais, Chief Sustainability Officer at Emirates Foundation and Secretary General of the "Naama" Initiative Committee, said, "The collaboration between the "Naama" Initiative and the UAE Food Bank is an important step towards unifying efforts to enhance resource sustainability and reduce food waste in society. Through this partnership, we are working together to develop innovative, technology-powered solutions for safe and efficient food distribution, reflecting our deep commitment to promoting social responsibility, protecting the environment, and achieving the UAE's goals of significantly reducing food waste."

For her part, Manal Bin Yarouf, Head of the Executive Team of the UAE Food Bank, said that this cooperation is part of a long-term strategic vision aimed at addressing the issue of food waste in the country in a comprehensive and sustainable manner. This vision aligns with the UAE Food Bank's objectives and vision of achieving leadership and sustainability in the field of managing surplus food, collecting it, preserving it, and delivering it of the highest quality to those in need, wherever they are and at any time. This reflects the good deeds and values ​​of giving that have underpinned the bank's approach since its inception.