Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor, founding chairman of Al-Habtoor Group (AHG) has announced a slew of charitable activities and programs during the holy month of Ramadan, with the aim of spreading positivity and reflecting on the values of community and tolerance in a challenging period.
Al-Habtoor, a renowned philanthropist businessman, will provide daily iftar meals to workers residing in labor accommodations across Dubai. To be organized and distributed in the restricted movement and quarantine areas by the Dubai Police force, the 45,000 meals are a special gesture to the thousands of men and women who work tirelessly and keep the emirate functioning smoothly even in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.
As the UAE and the world readies to welcome Ramadan this year while dealing with a pandemic, and public movements remain restricted during the 24-hour National Sterilization Program, Al-Habtoor is focusing on ways to support families and the wider community through discount cards for the needy, under the aegis of the Al-Farooq Omar bin Al-Khattab Mosque and Center (AFMC).
Meer cards will be distributed to more than 150 Emirati individuals and families this year, enabling them to avail free food and provision purchases at outlets through the prepaid cards. These cards are set to bring the total relief provided to families over the past years to 1.7 million dirhams ($462,800).
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45,000 iftar meals will be distributed at worker accommodations through the Dubai Police.
Al-Habtoor said: “This year takes on special meaning as we rely on our faith, strength and God’s direction to get through this challenging period.”
We will focus on our traditions of peace, understanding and tolerance this Ramadan, extending our help to the needy and our foreign workers who spare no effort in building and maintaining our beautiful country.”
At AFMC, religious lesson sessions by Sheikh Dr. Fares Al-Mustafa, the religious and cultural affairs adviser of the mosque, offering guidance and direction to the faithful, will be a daily feature after the Asr prayer. Special video clips from past years will be posted regularly across the mosque’s social media platforms, reinforcing messages about the UAE’s cultural and Islamic values.
In the spirit of giving, AFMC will also distribute electronic and printed Ramadan calendars to the public. The free e-calendar, launched for the first time in the UAE, features a detailed Ramadan 2020 timetable with daily prayer, imsak and iftar timings, and is supported in both English and Arabic. The special e-calendar, a green initiative that reduces paper use, also helps in maintaining the current need for contactless methods during the COVID-19 outbreak.
