ABU DHABI // New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has hosted a series of iftar meals for more than 1,000 people. Members of the community, including staff, faculty and their families, were encouraged to celebrate the generosity and blessings of the holy month. NYUAD is aiming to build a close-knit network among its faculty, students and alumni. During summer, many of them spend semesters away at the university’s other campuses in New York City and Shanghai. Organisations across the country have also organised iftars throughout Ramadan, including the University Hospital Sharjah. Last month, the facility linked up with the health department at Sharjah’s Supreme Council of Family Affairs to offer meal plans and exercise programmes for residents who wished to change their eating habits. Several hotels across the country, including Emirates Palace, distributed untouched food left over from their iftars to thousands of needy families and low-income workers. The initiative was carried out as part of a Ramadan campaign by Nahtam, a charitable organisation in Abu Dhabi. cmalek@thenational.ae