Volunteers gather in Abu Dhabi to pack iftar boxes for low-income residents

Surplus food safely redistributed as part of Ne’ma campaign

The event brought together more than 100 volunteers to pack boxes as part of Ne’ma’s Valuing Our Roots campaign. Photo: Ne'ma

N’ema, the UAE’s national food loss and waste initiative, on Thursday hosted an iftar box-packing event in Al Qana, Abu Dhabi.

The event brought together more than 100 volunteers to pack boxes as part of Ne’ma’s Valuing Our Roots campaign for Ramadan. More than 5,000 boxes have been prepared and sent out across Abu Dhabi and Sharjah since the holy month began.

The initiative's food rescue programme works to ensure that surplus food is safely redistributed rather than wasted. It brings together food producers, distributors and the hospitality sector to divert food and deliver to those in need. The Ramadan campaign consists of three key pillars: the family iftar box programme, the one million surplus meals drive and the Ne’ma community fridges initiative.

"We came here today to do good for other people," Zayed Al Hazaili, one of the volunteers on Thursday, told The National. "We organised different food including dates, vegetables and fruit. It's important to do good for the soul and support people in the community by giving back from our blessings."

"Giving back to the community is the least we could do," said Abdullah Alryami, another volunteer. "It's our duty to help in the country's humanitarian mission in the grander picture. This is also a way to support in the nation's efforts in food security."

Zayed Al Hazaili, left, and Abdullah Alryami volunteered and packed food for low-income residents. Photo: Ahmed S. Almansoori / The National

Family iftar boxes

The family iftar box programme takes surplus food from distributors, retailers and farmers, channelling it to low-income beneficiaries in Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra, Al Ain and Sharjah. Each box contains fresh produce, staple grains, sources protein and essential pantry items.

More than 400 volunteers are engaged in food rescue efforts this Ramadan, with support from UAE-based food producers, including Silal, Al Barakah Dates, IFFCO, Ektifa, Arla, Safco and Bel Group.

Surplus meals and community fridges

The one million surplus meals project works with the hospitality sector to collect and redistribute untouched food from restaurants and hotels.

The community fridges initiative provides a structured way to distribute surplus food in high-demand areas across Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Last year, 16 hotels participated, successfully providing 11,581 meals. This year, 35 hotels and hospitality partners are working with Ne’ma on the project.

“Reducing food waste is a high priority for the UAE,” said Khuloud Hassan Al Nuwais, chief sustainability officer of the Emirates Foundation and Ne'ma's committee secretary general. “Ramadan is a time of generosity and reflection, and is a great opportunity to strengthen community connections while working hand-in-hand with our partners to redistribute surplus produce to low-income families.”

More than 5,000 boxes have been prepared and sent out across Abu Dhabi and Sharjah since the holy month began. Photo: Ne'ma

Ne'ma as an international model

Ne'ma was established in 2022 under the directive of President Sheikh Mohammed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi at the time, with the aim of addressing overproduction and overconsumption.

"The work being done here can be used as a prototype for other communities outside the UAE. Last year we visited Japan and Denmark to transfer the knowledge and experience we gained through Ne'ma," Ms Al Nuwais added. "We are always pioneering in the UAE and the experiences we have here can be exported and implemented internationally to reduce food waste and bolster food security."