Dubai’s 1 Billion meals campaign raises $67m in a week

Dubai’s 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign raised AED247m (AED67m) in the first week.

Launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, it is the largest Ramadan sustainable food aid endowment fund.

The campaign received donations from 13,220 major contributors, individuals, businesses and public and private sector players.

Dubai 1 Billion Meals campaign

Among those, 13,195 contributors donated via smart channels.

The campaign is a practical example of the UAE’s long-held values of giving and generosity, and a community-wide response to Sheikh Mohammed’s call for aiding those in need.

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary General of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, said: “The 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign reflects the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for sustaining charitable efforts, opening the door for everyone hoping to make a lasting impact.

“On the other hand, the remarkable response we see across the UAE community is a reflection of its long-held values of giving and generosity, and a testament of its moral sense of responsibility towards the global efforts to eradicate hunger around the world.

“The campaign paves the way for a new concept of charitable work that is sustainable and impactful in a way that meets the specific needs of underprivileged populations. The food aid endowment fund created under the campaign is a key milestone in UAE’s humanitarian efforts.

“Our community’s race to contribute, with 13,220 contributors donating AED247m in one week only, is not new to our community. We are confident that the next days will see more contributions to the endowment fund,” he concluded.

Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign aims to create sustainable solutions and implement effective programmes to fight and eradicate hunger, and support vulnerable groups around the world.

The 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign continues to welcome donations and contributions to the endowment fund from institutions and individuals across five main channels including the campaign’s website (www.1billionmeals.ae), as well as a dedicated call centre via the toll free number (800 9999).

Donations are also possible via bank transfers in the UAE Dirham to the campaign bank account number with Emirates NBD (AE30 0260 0010 1533 3439 802).

Donations via SMS give contributors the option to donate AED 1 daily through a monthly subscription, by sending the word “Meal” to 1020 for du users, or to 1110 for Etisalat by e& users. Those who wish to donate to the campaign through the DubaiNow app can do so by clicking on the “Donations” tab.