12 tonnes of rubbish cleared from Dubai desert

Waste was spread across four sites and filled thousands of bags with plastic, cutlery and discarded food

More than 5,000 volunteers took part in the annual Clean Up UAE campaign at Al Qudra's Saih Al Salam on Saturday. Photos by Reem Mohammed / The National

Volunteers pose for a selfie ahead of the Clean Up UAE campaign in Dubai on Saturday

The event was organised by Emirates Environmental Group in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

An estimated 29 million tonnes of municipal waste is generated in the UAE each year. Experts say a significant amount continues to accumulate in the vast deserts of the Emirates

Wearing face masks and gloves, volunteers walked for hours collecting discarded rubbish dumped in the desert

Volunteers prepare to head out across the desert to collect litter left behind by campers

Emirates Environmental Group has successfully hosted the Clean Up UAE campaign every year since 2002

Each year, an increasing number of volunteers, including corporations, educational institutions and government bodies, come together in various sites across the UAE to join the campaign

In 2019, more than 28,500 volunteers participated while collecting more than 43,000kg of waste

Volunteers join the Emirates Environmental Group for the 19th Annual Clean Up UAE campaign at Al Qudra - Saih Al Salam in Dubai

The morning clean up campaign proved a huge success on Saturday as volunteers collected thousands of bags of rubbish including plastic, cutlery and discarded food

The waste being dumped in the deserts will directly impact wildlife as many mistake small bits of plastic for food

The annual campaign kicked off at 8.30am on Saturday and wrapped up at 11.30am

Strict safety precautions were followed throughout the clean up campaign to ensure volunteers kept a social distance

More than 5,000 volunteers descended on the Dubai desert on Saturday to take part in the annual Clean Up UAE campaign.

Participants collected 12.6 tonnes of rubbish from Al Qudra’s Saih Al Salam area including plastic, cutlery and discarded food.

Organised by the Emirates Environmental Group, in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the three-hour clean-up drive began at 8.30am.

Volunteers were spread across four sites and filled thousands of bags with rubbish left behind by picnickers and campers.

The desert spot, which is popular among families and individuals, is often the target of clean-up campaigns due to the vast majority of rubbish dumped in the area by visitors.

According to recent figures by the Ministry, the UAE generates an estimated 29 million tonnes of municipal waste each year – a significant amount of which ends up in the desert.

The Clean Up UAE campaign was first launched in 2002 to try to tackle the issue. The majority of waste collected as part of the annual drive is recycled in collaboration with the different municipalities in the Emirates.

Last year, 28,500 volunteers participated in the clean up and collected more than 43 tonnes of waste across a total area of 62 square kilometres.

From 2005 to 2019, the campaign also contributed to the recycling of more than 2.4m million kilograms of glass.

Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi in 2020. Victor Besa / The National

Archive photo of Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: BP Archives