UAE Food Bank launches ‘Bank of Goodness in the Month of Giving’ campaign to distribute eight million meals during Ramadan

Under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and Supreme Chairperson of the UAE Food Bank, the UAE Food Bank has launched the ‘Bank of Goodness in the Month of Giving’ campaign.

As part of its latest campaign, the Bank, one of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), aims to provide eight million meals from surplus food and distribute them to beneficiaries within the UAE and abroad during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

Five Initiatives
The campaign will be implemented through five Ramadan initiatives targeting different segments of society, including ‘Charity Fridge’, ‘My Home Without Waste’, ‘Meer Al Khair’, ‘Zabeel Iftar’, and ‘Recycle, Re-life’, forming an integrated and sustainable institutional framework for surplus food management.

‘Bank of Goodness in the Month of Giving’ aligns with the UAE Food Bank’s vision to operate as a sustainable humanitarian system that reinforces the values of giving while reducing food waste through the efficient management of surplus food and its delivery to beneficiaries according to high quality standards.

The campaign also supports global efforts to combat hunger, aligns with national priorities to enhance food security and achieve the UAE National Food Security Strategy 2051, promotes the circular economy, and contributes to reducing food waste and carbon emissions, creating a positive and lasting environmental impact.

Manal bin Yaroof, Head of the Executive Team at the UAE Food Bank, said the campaign is launched under the directives of HH Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum to advance the Bank’s humanitarian mission and extend its support to the widest possible number of beneficiaries worldwide.

She said: “‘The Bank of Goodness in the Month of Giving’ campaign embodies our leadership’s vision of strengthening humanitarian and charitable work as a core value and a key pillar of the UAE’s development journey. It reaffirms that generosity and solidarity are deeply rooted in Emirati society and reflect the UAE’s message of extending bridges of goodness to communities around the world.

“Through its initiatives, the UAE Food Bank helps strengthen the UAE and Dubai’s position at the forefront of humanitarian and charitable work through a sustainable system that promotes food preservation, supports food security, and advances the values of generosity and community solidarity, creating a lasting humanitarian impact for the most vulnerable communities worldwide.”

This year’s campaign focuses on expanding surplus food management through integrated operational initiatives built on strategic partnerships with the public and private sectors, while strengthening community and volunteer participation in all stages of food collection, sorting, and distribution. Through these initiatives, UAE Food Bank aims to achieve the highest levels of efficiency in delivering food to beneficiaries, promote responsible consumption patterns, reduce food waste, and enhance environmental sustainability.

Charity Fridge
The ‘Charity Fridge’ is one of the campaign’s flagship initiatives, aimed at promoting community solidarity and reducing food waste during Ramadan by placing food refrigerators in residential neighbourhoods in coordination with Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority. The initiative enables individuals and organisations to donate surplus food from iftar and suhoor meals in an organised and safe manner, reflecting sustainable values of giving and food preservation.

My Home Without Waste
‘My Home Without Waste’ is an awareness initiative designed to promote a culture of food preservation within households through practical and simplified content delivered by leading chef influencers. The initiative empowers homemakers and working women to adopt smart and sustainable methods for storing and reusing daily food, reducing waste and encouraging responsible consumption habits.

Meer Al Khair
The campaign also includes the ‘Meer Al Khair’ initiative, which supports families in need during Ramadan by providing integrated food parcels containing essential items. The initiative helps meet daily needs and strengthen food stability for beneficiary families, reflecting values of compassion and social solidarity through the engagement of partners and volunteers in the preparation and distribution process in an organised and sustainable manner.

Zabeel Iftar
As part of the iftar initiatives, the UAE Food Bank will organise ‘Zabeel Iftar’, a collective iftar event for workers at Zabeel Park. The initiative embodies compassion and community solidarity during the Holy Month by providing complete meals in a humanitarian environment that promotes generosity and social responsibility.

Recycle, Re-life Initiative
In collaboration with the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative ‘Ne’ma’, the UAE Food Bank will launch the ‘Recycle, Re-life’ initiative during Ramadan to promote sustainability and social responsibility and enhance surplus food management through an integrated system. The Bank will collect surplus food from hotels, redistribute edible meals to beneficiaries, and convert non-edible food into organic agricultural compost in coordination with the ReLoop application by Ecyclex.

This partnership supports the circular economy and reduces carbon emissions from organic waste, in line with national goals to reduce food waste and secure sustainable agricultural resources, while reflecting a shared commitment to transforming environmental challenges into development opportunities that benefit both society and the environment.

The campaign reaffirms the UAE Food Bank’s commitment to strengthening local and global strategic partnerships, enhancing community awareness around food preservation, and empowering youth and society to contribute to humanitarian and volunteer efforts, supporting sustainable development and creating lasting humanitarian impact both locally and internationally.