UAE Food Bank Partners With Ne’ma To Provide One Million Surplus Meals During Ramadan

The UAE Food Bank has partnered with the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, known as "Ne’ma." This collaboration aims to enhance support for those in need while promoting environmental sustainability. By managing surplus food, the initiative seeks to reduce waste and ensure that food reaches as many eligible groups as possible across the country.

During Ramadan, the initiative plans to provide one million meals from surplus food to deserving community members. This effort is now in its third year and aligns with the UAE’s vision of fostering social and environmental responsibility. The declaration of 2025 as the "Year of the Community" further underscores this commitment.

The initiative involves over 75 hotels working together to collect and distribute untouched surplus food. In Dubai, this will be done in cooperation with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. The focus is on safely managing food surplus to minimize waste effectively.

The UAE Food Bank will gather consumable surplus food and redistribute it across the nation. Inedible food will be converted into oil and agricultural compost through a partnership with iCycle International Recycling's "Reloop" app. This approach supports environmental protection and circular economy principles.

Khuloud Hassan Al Nowais, Chief Sustainability Officer at Emirates Foundation, emphasized the importance of this partnership. "The cooperation between ‘Ne’ma’ and the UAE Food Bank is a key step towards unifying efforts to enhance resource sustainability and reduce food waste in society," she stated.

Manal Bin Yaroof, Head of the Executive Team at the UAE Food Bank, highlighted their strategic vision. "This collaboration is part of a long-term strategic vision to address the issue of food waste in the UAE in a comprehensive and sustainable way," she said.

Innovative Solutions

Through this partnership, innovative solutions supported by technology are being developed for safe and efficient food distribution. These efforts reflect a deep commitment to social responsibility and environmental protection, aligning with the UAE’s goal to significantly reduce food waste.

The initiative not only supports those in need but also embodies values of generosity and giving that have been central to the UAE Food Bank since its inception. By collecting, preserving, and delivering surplus food with high quality, they aim to lead in sustainable surplus food management.

With inputs from WAM