DUBAI // Iftar meals have been handed out to the public as part of a series of Ramadan initiatives launched by the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai.
The RTA is working with the UAE Food Bank as part of its “Meals on Wheels” activities over the Holy Month.
“The RTA is holding an array of events during the month of Ramadan in line with its efforts to keep up with the UAE initiative designating 2017 as the Year of Giving,” said Moaza Al Marri, the RTA’s director of marketing and corporate communications.
This is the seventh year in a row that Meals on Wheels has run.
The authority will deploy two buses to distribute 4,000 iftar meals, in collaboration with the Beit Al Khair Society, to public transport users at five bus stations and four metro stations. It is being coordinated with the Community Development Authority.
A special RTA tab has been added to the Dubai Volunteering Programme app for its charitable initiatives.
The CDA will educate volunteering employees of the RTA about the app, the role of volunteering in serving the community and about participation in community initiatives.
Charitable supplies will be distributed to 400 disadvantaged families in Hatta and other areas of Dubai while celebrating Zayed Humanitarian Day, which is on the 19th of Ramadan and will see several senior officials from the RTA take part.
The RTA will support the Ramadan Aman campaign organised by the Al Ihsan Charity Association by distributing iftar meals at road junctions to encourage motorists to drive safely at that time of day, which is known to be a time when crashes occur.
The RTA’s Women Committee is organising a mass iftar for RTA employees and female Dubai Taxi Corporation drivers, as well as handing out coupons for Ramadan rations.
The committee will also hand out Ramadan supplies to disadvantaged families and provide family coupons for Kidzania.
It will also support the Eid Joy initiative by serving the Eid needs of 100 needy children to enable them to experience the festive atmosphere with their counterparts.
Ahmed Al Muhairi, executive director of charitable activities at the UAE Food Bank, praised the support of the RTA.
“The RTA is one of the biggest government supporters of communal, charitable and humanitarian initiatives in Dubai,” he said.
“Since launch, the UAE Food Bank has been seeking to foster a spirit of cooperation and solidarity with all parties to boost its mission in catering to the needs of several community segments.”
nhanif@thenational.ae
