During Ramadan, the spirit of hospitality and generosity is abundant, as households open up to family and friends to break their fast. It is during festive periods such as the holy month that there is a surge in food waste, but experts say there is a way to reduce the problem.
Thierry Dezenclos, UAE chief executive of waste management firm Veolia, told The National that food waste can increase by as much as 50 per cent in some countries during the fasting month.
"This pattern often results from our caring instinct to ensure abundant hospitality," said Mr Dezenclos. "We tend to overestimate portion sizes, prepare extra dishes 'just in case' and offer multiple menu options for variety. These practices, while rooted in generosity, present opportunities for thoughtful planning and mindful preparation."
Food waste is an issue around the world. The UN estimates that every year $1 trillion worth is wasted. Yet more than 700 million people face chronic hunger. In the UAE, according to a report by the country's food loss and waste initiative Ne'ma published in 2023, nearly 40 per cent of food is wasted at a cost of Dh6 billion ($1.63 billion) annually.
Sustainable behaviour
Khuloud Hasan Al Nowais, secretary general of the steering committee at Ne'ma, said consumer behaviour is shifting, and the programme has been working with hotels and households to support community efforts to consume more mindfully.
Ms Al Nowais told The National that meal planning, plate sizes and using leftovers are all changes that can be made in our daily lives to prevent food waste.
"The other aspect is around the notion that, after the person has been fasting, they need to have a big plate. It is actually the contrary," she said. "You need to start eating small portions because after a full day of fasting, you don't want to hit your system with a lot of food all in one go."
Ne’ma’s first national household survey, conducted in 2022 questioned 6,083 residents, revealed households account for 61 per cent of the nation's total food waste. The study highlighted that reducing food waste at home is challenging, as it requires changing deeply ingrained daily habits.
Ms Al Nowais revealed that Ne'ma is working on research to show how much food is being wasted per person in the UAE.
Celebrating Ramadan sustainably
Hotels, too, have their sights set on more sustainable offerings this Ramadan, without compromising on quality. The Conrad in Dubai introduced an AI waste-management system in its kitchen three years ago. This has helped the business to track and monitor what is being thrown away.
This has enabled bosses to understand which dishes guests prefer and which are wasted during iftar. The hotel's signature "Green Ramadan", a project now in its third year, has cut food waste by 20 per cent since it was launched.
"The system gives us daily reports," said Ilias Doulamis, the hotel's executive chef. "From there we can really identify what has been overproduced, which recipe has not been liked by the guests, and then maybe we need to make changes, or totally remove it and do something different."
Mr Doulamis told The National that beyond waste, the drive seeks to help guests understand the importance of portion sizes. When the hotel started the project in 2023, patrons were wasting 289g per person but that number has been reduced sharply to only 40g.
The initiative has come full cycle, and food waste is now composted, according to Linda Mwaffak, commercial director at Conrad Dubai. "Last year, we had 769kg of food waste. All of this was turned into compost. So in reality, it's zero waste for last year."
The hotel has a partnership with Dubai-based firm, The WasteLab, under which food scraps are converted into organic fertiliser. The hotel has also launched an aquaponic farm on its premises, which produces 10kg of vegetables daily, complementing the domestically sourced offerings provided by the culinary team.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:
August 5:
Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.
August 11-13:
Asian Championship in Vietnam.
September 8-9:
Ajman International.
September 16-17
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.
September 22-24:
IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.
September 23-24:
Grand Slam Los Angeles.
September 29:
Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.
October 13-14:
Al Ain U18 International.
September 20-21:
Al Ain International.
November 3:
Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.
November 4:
Round-2 President’s Cup.
November 10-12:
Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.
November 24-26:
World Championship, Columbia.
November 30:
World Beach Championship, Columbia.
December 8-9:
Dubai International.
December 23:
Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.
January 12-13:
Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.
January 26-27:
Fujairah International.
February 3:
Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.
February 16-17:
Ras Al Khaimah International.
February 23-24:
The Challenge Championship.
March 10-11:
Grand Slam London.
March 16:
Final Round – Mother of The Nation.
March 17:
Final Round – President’s Cup.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
WISH
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
