ABU DHABI // Queues of taxis snaked around Le Royal Meridien hotel on Tuesday evening as staff handed out bags filled with biryani, dates, juice, water and fresh fruit to cabbies at the entrance.
Wazirullah Umer was among those who started queuing from 6pm to receive the free food pack that the 48 Starwood Group hotels hand out every year for the Iftar for Cabs project.
“It is a very good thing that they are doing every year,” said Mr Umer, 32, a Pakistani driver with Emirates Taxi.
Abdel Sayed, 32, an Emirates Taxi driver from Morocco, said the food was handy to have in case he had a passenger during iftar.
“If we have passengers who need to go to Mussaffah, we cannot stop in the middle to break our fast,” Mr Sayed said.
“I’m looking forward to the chicken biryani,” said Rajendra Khatri, 44, a Nepalese driver with Arabia Taxi. “We pick up and drop customers here and we are happy they’re doing something for us.”
Gopakumar, 39, who drives for Cars Taxi, said a colleague had told him about the free meals.
“I’ve been working here in Abu Dhabi for three years but it’s my first time to receive an iftar pack.”
All of the 200 meal packs at Le Royal Meridien were handed out within minutes by staff, including the general manager, Max Wiegerinck.
He said the annual project was a way of giving back to the community.
“We asked ourselves, ‘how can we help the taxi drivers, who help us?’” Mr Wiegerinck said.
Some drivers were unable to break their fast because they had a customer at iftar time, he said.
“Now, wherever they are on the road, they can stop and have their meal.”
In the capital, the meal packs were also distributed an hour before iftar at the main entrances of Aloft, Le Meridien, Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel, St Regis Abu Dhabi, St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and Westin Golf Resort and Spa.
The group has distributed 3,000 iftar packs every day during Ramadan in previous years.
rruiz@thenational.ae
