More than 6,000 workers and families received free meals from a Dubai church as volunteers rallied to support those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Meals of Grace campaign began in April with only five volunteers and has since evolved into a dedicated team of 45 people, as well as drawing support from 18 restaurants across the city. The initiative is in supported by local authorities.
The meals are collected from the restaurants and sent to St Mary's Catholic Church, which has one of the largest Catholic congregations in the world, to be distributed to those in need.
Among those to benefit are people put on reduced wages and some residents who have lost their jobs.
The drive was in the spirit of a broader effort started by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, who called on volunteers to deliver free meals under his Your City Needs You campaign.
“Even though the church was closed in March there were still queues of around 50 or 60 people outside who were asking if we could give them food. They were only looking for something simple like rice or lentils,” said Susan Jose, 39, one of the lead volunteers.
We are grateful to St Mary's for the boxes of food and medicine they provided. It has given me hope while I search for a new job
“The watchmen at the gates phoned us to let us know about the people in need.”
She said about 200 food parcels, which typically consist of rice, flour, pasta and lentils, were sent out several times a week to support parishioners who had fallen on hard times.
“The initial plan was to provide meals to workers who were stranded here without visas but as time went on we saw many families were also affected and needed our support,” said Ms Jose, an Indian resident.
“It started in March and in the middle of the summer we were sending out food every day. It’s at least several times a week now.”
Even though the church remains closed to the public, she said St Mary’s is doing all it can to help those in need.
“We send out a plea for people to donate what they can during the online masses and people and businesses have been so supportive,” she said.
“We have leaders among the church who go out into their own communities and assess who needs our help.”
In one instance, a donation of 280 meals was sent to help a camp of female bus conductors in Dubai.
Sobia Piara Masih, 44, a Pakistani hairdresser, was among those who received aid from the initiative.
“Because of Covid-19, there have been no customers and almost zero business," she said.
"We had been paid only 50 per cent of our salaries.
“We are very happy and grateful that St Mary's provided us food that gave us the energy to continue with our jobs in these tough times.”
Benjamin Noronha, 54, has been on unpaid leave from the hotel he works for since March.
“The electricity in our accommodation was disconnected two months ago and we were not able to buy food for several weeks,” said the Indian, who has lived in Dubai for the past 25 years.
“We are grateful to St Mary’s for the boxes of food and medicine they provided. It has given me hope while I search for a new job.”
Fr Lennie Connully, parish priest at St Mary’s, said the project would not have been possible without the full support of the Community Development Authority and the government of Dubai, as well as supermarket chain West Zone, which is one of the main sponsors.
“We are doing all we can to support those vulnerable people during this crisis,” he said.
“Proper nutrition is absolutely vital at a challenging time like this and we are delighted that we can provide this service.
“Through this initiative we were also able to assist with the repatriation of several needy workers who have been stranded without jobs or means of survival.”
Vasai Local, an Indian restaurant in Karama, is among the companies providing meals for the project.
“It’s important to give to those who don’t have a lot,” said owner Supriya Fernandes, 42.
“That’s especially the case during the pandemic when so many have been affected.”
She said the restaurant made 100 meals, several times a week, which are collected by the church to be distributed among those in need.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
Dubai Creek Open in numbers
- The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year's Mena Tour
- It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
- This week's field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
- 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
