Amazon to contribute to one million meals this Ramadan

Meals will be donated to families in need in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan

Workers at Amazon pack Ramadan food hampers in the UAE. Courtesy: Amazon

E-commerce site Amazon has announced that it will contribute towards more than one million meals to families in need across the Mena region this Ramadan.

The food will be donated to people in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan throughout the holy month.

Partnering with regional charities, the company will create hampers of goods, which they estimate will result in approximately 1,074,080 meals.

"In light of the month of Ramadan, Amazon is delighted to continue supporting food charities across the region. With our ability to innovate quickly and experience in logistics and delivery, we are helping to get more than one million meals into the hands of those who need them the most throughout the month of giving," says Ronaldo Mouchawar, vice president of Amazon Mena.

"Since the start of the global pandemic, Amazon has played a vital role in delivering daily essentials to customers in the safety and comfort of their homes, while prioritising the health and safety of its employees, customers, and partners," the company said.

"The UAE Food Bank's mission is to help the people in need while reducing food waste. Ramadan has always been the month of giving and helping others, and it is our pleasure to be partnering with Amazon this Ramadan," said Iman Al Bastaki, head of the food safety department at Dubai Municipality and member of the UAE Food Bank committee. "We feel very passionate about the work we do, and we value the partnerships we have with the private sector who are always keen to give back and share the same passion."

This was echoed by Prashant Saran, director of operations for Amazon Mena.

"We are driven by the belief that no family should have to make trade-offs to meet their basic needs and we are delighted to partner with organisations who share our commitment," he said.

"With the holy month of Ramadan looking a little different this year, our meal donation programme is designed to utilise our assets including scale, logistics and technology, for the benefit of the community."

This Ramadan, the UAE has set out a plan to fund 100 million free meals in 20 countries across the region, in one of the biggest food drives of its kind.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, unveiled a major campaign to ensure people in need do not go hungry, saying 820 million people undernourished globally, including 52 million in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The campaign is an expansion of 2020's 10 Million Meals campaign, which helped people in the UAE who lost jobs and faced salary cuts during the pandemic. It also worked to feed people who would normally end their fast at free iftars at mosques and public places, which had to be cancelled because of the pandemic.

A website set up for the campaign allows people to donate as little as Dh10 to fund 10 meals, rising to Dh500 or more. You can do this via the website, SMS or bank transfer and even over the phone. All details on how to do it are available online.

Take a look inside the biggest fulfilment centre in the UAE:

A look inside the expansive Amazon fulfilment centre in DXB3, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Supplies are received at the Amazon fulfilment centre in DXB3, Dubai. They are physically inspected and given a safety check, a process that takes about five minutes. Pawan Singh / The National

Staff scan and perform quality control checks on products received at the Amazon fulfilment centre in DXB3, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

After items are received at Amazon's facility, they are scanned and placed on to the Amazon system, then customers are able to order them instantly. Pawan Singh / The National

As part of Covid-19 safety measures, screens have been installed between stationary work spaces. Pawan Singh / The National

Staff moving stock through the Amazon fulfilment centre in DXB3, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Geoffrey Khalil, the inbound operations manager, explaining how items are stowed away. Pawan Singh / The National

An overview of the large distribution centre. Pawan Singh / The National

Crates travel down from upper levels on a spiral conveyor for delivery. Pawan Singh / The National

A member of staff placing a crate of orders on the spiral conveyor. Pawan Singh / The National

Batched orders are ready to move through the Amazon fulfilment centre in DXB3, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Items move though Amazon's fulfilment centre on automatic conveyor belts. Pawan Singh / The National

A completed order is boxed and sealed for delivery, but still does not have an address label - that comes at the Slam station. Pawan Singh / The National

Orders ready to be delivered to customers. Pawan Singh / The National

Covid-19 safety precautions have tables well spaced out in the staff canteen at the Amazon fulfilment centre in DXB3, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

An inside view of the floors of stock at the Amazon fulfilment centre in DXB3, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National