Ensuring food provision for low-income families is a fundamental part of the country’s vision for a sustainable and cohesive society. National, charitable initiatives seek to ensure access to sufficient and quality food to families in need, through innovative programmes that include food meal distribution, provision of essential food baskets, and redistribution of surplus food. These efforts go beyond meeting daily needs; they also aim to promote sustainability and reduce food waste, thereby strengthening social solidarity and preserving the dignity of beneficiaries.

Ne’ma – the National Food Loss and Waste initiative
The national Ne’ma Initiative aims to reduce food loss and waste by 50 per cent by 2030, promoting sustainable practices and social responsibility, and supporting food security in the UAE.
The initiative benefits all segments of society, including low-income groups, by operating community refrigerators at strategic locations, providing food to eligible groups, and integrating food waste reduction initiatives with the food security and social programmes.

Read about Ne’ma, the National Food Loss and Waste initiative.

Saned charitable endowment initiative
The Saned initiative is a sustainable community and charitable project launched by the Endowments and Minors’ Trust Foundation in Dubai (Awqaf Dubai), in collaboration with Community Development Authority (CDA) through ’Jood,’ the community contributions platform. The initiative aims to support low-income individuals and families in the UAE.

The initiative aims to establish a sustainable charitable endowment to support low-income families. The proceeds from this endowment will be dedicated to meeting the food needs of families registered with CDA. The endowment consists of a residential building located in the Dubai South district comprising 40 apartments across 5 floors. The project, valued at AED 30 million, is expected to generate 8 per cent in revenues. Revenues from the endowment will be used to fund AED 1,000 Saned cards for beneficiary families to purchase essential food items.

Useful links

• UAE Food Bank – U.ae
• UAE Food Bank launches ‘United in Giving’ initiative to provide 7 million meals during Ramadan - WAM