The UAE's Ramadan food drive has been hailed as a symbol of the country's generous spirit after it raised more than Dh400 million in its first 10 days.
The One Billion Meals Endowment was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, ahead of the holy month.
The campaign has so far received Dh404 million through 70,000 donations from people, institutions and businesses alike.
The funds will help support a long-term, sustainable approach to helping the needy all over the world.
Instead of donations being spent directly on food parcels, the money will be placed 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.
Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and secretary general of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, said the outpouring of support highlighted the UAE's humanitarian values.
“The remarkable response to One Billion Meals Endowment campaign is a true reflection of the generous and helping UAE community,” said Mr Al Gergawi
“The campaign has raised Dh404 million in only 10 days, contributed by more than 70,000 donators, which supports the objectives of the food aid endowment fund.
“Every year, the UAE showcases its commitment to its humanitarian role, to supporting underprivileged populations around the world, and to the global effort to fight and eradicate hunger.
“To this end, the One Billion Meals Endowment campaign is an extension of the success UAE charity efforts achieved over the past years.”
UAE gives generously once more
Last year, the One Billion Meals campaign set out to offer aid to people in 50 countries.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives foundation said the latest 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,” the organisation said in a statement.
Sara Al Nuaimi, director at Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, previously told The National of the campaign's aim to deliver crucial assistance.
“The point behind this is to have projects that will generate income for many years to come. We hope for indefinite meals,” said Ms Al Nuaimi.
“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.”
The One Billion Meals campaign website has details of several options for donors.
Pledges can be made online, either monthly or through a one-off donation. Donations can be made by SMS message through Etisalat or Du, via the DubaiNow app or through a bank transfer.
For large donations and related inquiries, contact the campaign’s team at 800 9999.
Fundraising drive
Car enthusiasts are being invited to enter the bidding for premium plates such as the single-digit P7 and 10 two-digit plates — including AA19, AA22, O71 and X36 in Dubai.
The in-person Most Noble Number event will be held at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach from 9pm on Saturday, with proceeds going to the One Billion Meals Endowment campaign.
It is being organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives in partnership with Emirates Auction and Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority.
Telecoms operators Du and Etisalat by e& will auction off several special mobile numbers as part of the campaign.
An online auction is being held by Abu Dhabi Police from April 4 to April 10, with 555 licence plates on offer.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
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Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
%3Cp%3E1984%20-%20Apple%20unveiled%20the%20Macintosh%20on%20January%2024%3Cbr%3E1985%20-%20Steve%20Jobs%20departed%20from%20Apple%20and%20established%20NeXT%3Cbr%3E1986%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20Macintosh%20Plus%2C%20featuring%20enhanced%20memory%3Cbr%3E1987%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20Macintosh%20II%2C%20equipped%20with%20colour%20capabilities%3Cbr%3E1989%20-%20The%20widely%20acclaimed%20Macintosh%20SE%2F30%20made%20its%20debut%3Cbr%3E1994%20-%20Apple%20presented%20the%20Power%20Macintosh%3Cbr%3E1996%20-%20The%20Macintosh%20System%20Software%20OS%20underwent%20a%20rebranding%20as%20Mac%20OS%3Cbr%3E2001%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20Mac%20OS%20X%2C%20marrying%20Unix%20stability%20with%20a%20user-friendly%20interface%3Cbr%3E2006%20-%20Apple%20adopted%20Intel%20processors%20in%20MacBook%20Pro%20laptops%3Cbr%3E2008%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20MacBook%20Air%2C%20a%20lightweight%20laptop%3Cbr%3E2012%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20MacBook%20Pro%20with%20a%20retina%20display%3Cbr%3E2016%20-%20The%20Mac%20operating%20system%20underwent%20rebranding%20as%20macOS%3Cbr%3E2020%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20M1%20chip%20for%20Macs%2C%20combining%20high%20performance%20and%20energy%20efficiency%3Cbr%3E2022%20-%20The%20M2%20chip%20was%20announced%3Cbr%3E2023%20-The%20M3%20line-up%20of%20chip%20was%20announced%20to%20improve%20performance%20and%20add%20new%20capabilities%20for%20Mac.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Dark Waters'
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
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Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
