The ‘Ramadan Heroes’ campaign, launched by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority to mark the holy month of Ramadan, recorded a huge success, resulting in the distribution of 50,955 meals to basic services workers across Dubai. The campaign, conceived as an expression of appreciation and gratitude towards the important services these workers provide the community with, was part of the Authority’s humanitarian initiatives that exemplify human cohesion and solidarity in a unique way.

Under the Ramadan Heroes campaign, Dubai Culture provided Iftar and Suhoor meals to workers at Dubai Industrial City and other residential centres throughout the holy month, with the help of a large number of volunteers, who expressed their gratitude by delivering the meals to the needy.

Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, said, “We are proud of what the campaign was capable of achieving. We succeeded in sharing our appreciation with this important class of the workforce and would like to thank our partners and volunteers who went above and beyond to ensure the success of the campaign. We are also grateful to the Ramadan heroes that comprised contributors, conductors, and recipients. We will continue to perform our moral and social duty to promote the values of solidarity and encourage humanitarian work across the country.”

Dubai Culture cooperated with ‘Dar al Ber Society,’ ‘Art Group for Good,’ and Talabat, with whom it created a virtual restaurant that allowed community members to safely provide Ramadan meals to workers in their homes and at Dubai Internet City, the largest regional centre for smart technology companies — including delivery applications — and Dubai Industrial City, which employs 42,000 people across the most prominent logistic companies and factories covering various fields, both of which are subsidiaries of TECOM Group. The partnership allowed the contributors to widen the reach of the campaign and deliver Ramadan meals using the latest technology.

This humanitarian campaign sought to consolidate the values acquired from the Founding Fathers and the nation’s wise leaders as well as bring joy to the hearts of service worker employees through a message of morality and virtue during the holy month and the current trying times.

Muhammed Yildirim, Talabat’s UAE Managing Director, said, “We are proud and humbled by the spirit of giving and togetherness that residents of the UAE have shown during Ramadan. Talabat’s UAE customers have safely donated over 50,000 meals through the Ramadan Heroes campaign. We would like to thank our partner restaurants, Fakher Al Mandi, Faisal Shay Al Youm, Tawook Nation, and Ayam El Ezz for the meals they collectively provided as well as Dubai Culture and Tecom Group for their collaboration and Dar al Ber Society that continues to set the standard of excellence when it comes to safe donations that safeguard the community.”

Rabab Tantawy, Founder of Art for Good, said: “We are proud to have taken part in Dubai Culture’s Ramadan Heroes initiative that managed to deliver thousands of well-balanced meals to the needy. At times like this, we must come together for our community and offer a helping hand.”

Abdul Qadir Al-Rayes, Director General of Dar al Ber Society, commended: “The Ramadan Heroes initiative that aimed to support basic services employees was launched by Dubai Culture in cooperation with Talabat and Dar al Ber Society, among other partners, all of whose values and societal and developmental roles have multiplied during the current circumstances.”

Al-Rayes stressed that the initiative reflects the sincerity of Emirati charitable and humanitarian work that continues uninterrupted and provides a model of Emirati tolerance, coexistence, love, and harmony in the country. Ramadan Heroes had a specific humanitarian and charitable goal to emphasise workers across various fields, who represent a loyal segment that contributes to serving us all, preserves our health and protects the country as well as promotes its development and sustainability and the safety of its society."

It is noteworthy that Dubai Culture partnered with Talabat to create a virtual restaurant to allow community members to send Ramadan meals and deliver it through the staff and committees of Dar Al Bir Society to workers safely, in line with national preventive measures.