UAE's Ramadan food campaign is just the beginning of the mission to deliver decades-long support to the crucial international effort to end world hunger.
The One Billion Meals Endowment, launched on Sunday by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, will take a different approach to previous initiatives rolled out during the holy month.
Instead of donations being spent directly on food parcels, they will go into endowment funds from which financial returns will be spent on feeding the needy.
The aim is to ensure the principal sum steadily grows, allowing vital aid to be delivered for years to come.
“The point behind this is to have projects that will generate income for many years to come. We hope for indefinite meals," said Sara Al Nuaimi, director at Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives.
“Returns of the endowment fund will be used to support people in need around the globe, without limitations to certain countries or a specific number of meals."
Endowments will be located in the UAE. The food scheme is expected to run until its goal of ending world hunger is achieved.
The scheme will begin on the first day of Ramadan and will continue until its target is met.
Last year, the One Billion Meals campaign set out to offer essential sustenance to people in 50 countries.
The MBRGI foundation said the latest aid effort was in response to a "growing food gap", exacerbated by the pandemic, global conflicts and climate change.
"The foundation is working on formulating a global vision to bridge the growing food gap, and its aim is to provide a food safety net for less fortunate groups around the world," said the foundation's statement.
Sheikh Mohammed shared details of the campaign on Sunday.
"As it has become a yearly Ramadan tradition, this year we launch the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign, with the aim of sustainably providing hundreds of millions of meals to people in need. 828 million people suffer from hunger around the world, this means one in 10 people," Sheikh Mohammed wrote on Twitter.
"As humans and as Muslims, it is our duty to be there for those in need, especially during the month of Ramadan. Even a small but sustainable contribution makes a bigger difference than a one-time large contribution."
The One Billion Meals campaign website has details of several options for donors.
Money can be pledged online, either monthly or by a one-off donation. Donations can be by SMS message through Etisalat or Du, via the DubaiNow app or through a bank transfer.
For large donations and related enquiries, contact the campaign’s team on 800 9999.
UAE support fuelled by public generosity
The series of food campaigns started with the locally-held 10 Million Meals that supported communities hit by the coronavirus across the UAE during Ramadan in 2020.
In 2021, the 100 Million Meals campaign provided food parcels and instant smart vouchers to millions of people across four continents.
Its lofty goal was reached thanks to the generosity of 185,000 donors, including individuals and companies inside and outside the UAE.
Last year, an impressive 600 million meals had been funded by hundreds of thousands of donors in less than a month.
Sheikh Mohammed pledged to donate the funds for 400 million meals to ensure the One Billion Meals campaign hit its target.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
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- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Super Saturday results
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, Brett Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Old Persian, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
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Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Spec%20sheet
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SPECS
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
