The UAE's One Billion Meals Endowment campaign has reached more than Dh500 million in the 15 days since it started.
The Ramadan food drive was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, ahead of the holy month.
The campaign has so far received Dh514 million from 87,000 donations from people, institutions and businesses alike.
The funds will help support a long-term, sustainable approach to helping the needy all over the world.
Instead of donations being spent directly on food parcels, the money will be placed into endowment funds from which financial returns will be spent on feeding the needy.
The aim is to ensure the principal sum steadily grows, allowing vital aid to be delivered for years to come.
Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and secretary general of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, said the support shows the generosity of people in the UAE to support the less well-off.
“The wide response to the One Billion Meals Endowment campaign, recording AED 514 million from 87,000 donators in 15 days, is a testament to the UAE community’s commitment to values of giving and solidarity, which represent an integral part of our culture,” he said.
How to support
The One Billion Meals campaign website has details of several options for donors.
Pledges can be made online, either monthly or through a one-off payment. Donations can be made by SMS message through Etisalat or Du, via the DubaiNow app or through a bank transfer.
For large donations and related inquiries, contact the campaign’s team at 800 9999.
Fundraising drive
Rare vehicle number plates and phone numbers will go under the hammer at a charity auction in Dubai on Saturday to support the charitable programme.
Car enthusiasts are being invited to enter the bidding for premium plates, such as the single-digit P7 and 10 two-digit plates — including AA19, AA22, O71 and X36 in Dubai.
The in-person Most Noble Number event will be held at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach from 9pm on Saturday, with proceeds going to the One Billion Meals Endowment campaign.
It is being organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, in partnership with Emirates Auction and Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority.
Telecoms operators Du and Etisalat by e& will auction off several special mobile numbers as part of the campaign.
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
Match info
Wolves 0
Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')
Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)
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Dubai World Cup prize money
Group 1 (Purebred Arabian) 2000m Dubai Kahayla Classic - $750,000
Group 2 1,600m(Dirt) Godolphin Mile - $750,000
Group 2 3,200m (Turf) Dubai Gold Cup – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Turf) Al Quoz Sprint – $1,000,000
Group 2 1,900m(Dirt) UAE Derby – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Dirt) Dubai Golden Shaheen – $1,500,000
Group 1 1,800m (Turf) Dubai Turf – $4,000,000
Group 1 2,410m (Turf) Dubai Sheema Classic – $5,000,000
Group 1 2,000m (Dirt) Dubai World Cup– $12,000,000
