Dubai Duty Free donates Dh2m to Bridges of Goodness campaign

Airport retailer’s donation to extend philanthropic assistance to the quake-hit countries

Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin presented the cheque to Emirates Red Crescent Director Mohammed Al Zarouni during a ceremony at the retailer’s headquarters in Ramoul. - Supplied photo

A Staff Reporter

Published: Thu 23 Feb 2023, 6:55 PM

Dubai Duty Free has donated Dh2 million to the Emirates Red Crescent’s ‘Bridges of Goodness’ campaign to support the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.

The airport retailer’s donation, made through its own foundation, the Dubai Duty Free Foundation, follows the UAE leadership’s support and efforts to extend philanthropic assistance to the quake-hit countries.

The fund will be used to support both nations with urgent humanitarian relief, which includes food supplies and medicines, and to fund relocation offers for families affected by the natural calamity.

Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin presented the cheque to Emirates Red Crescent Director Mohammed Al Zarouni during a ceremony at the retailer’s headquarters in Ramoul.

McLoughlin said: “Since we started our Foundation in October 2004, we have been working with several local and international charities on similar emergency and calamity projects over the years. This great initiative, which follows the quick response from our nation’s leaders, provides organisations such as ourselves the opportunity to support a major humanitarian effort that will directly benefit the displaced families and children who were affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.”

The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) and the Ministry of Community Development, called for participation in the “Bridges of Goodness” campaign to assist in gathering and assembling relief supplies for quake-ravaged Turkey and Syria.

The Emirates Red Crescent and the partnering UAE humanitarian and charitable organisations are directly collecting donations in cash and in kind over the course of two weeks. Those interested can send their donations through PayPal, credit card, bank transfer, or by text message. Donations can also be made through the Emirates Red Crescent website http://emiratesrc.ae/relief/.

Also present at the cheque presentation are Ramesh Cidambi, COO, Salah Tahlak, Joint COO, Dr. Bernard Creed, Senior vice president – finance, Sinead El Sibai, senior vice president – marketing, Olympia Pineda, manager – corporate responsibility department and Steve Simon, Chairman & CEO of WTA.

The Dubai Duty Free Foundation has worked with UAE Emirates Red Crescent on several of its campaigns in recent years including the Ramadan Campaign (2013), which aimed to provide clothing to one million needy children around the world, the UAE Water Aid Campaign (2014), aimed at providing clean drinking water for 5 million people in 61 countries, the UAE Compassion Campaign (2015), which aimed to provide winter aid for one million refugees and people in the Levant countries and the Fund of the UAE Campaign (2020), aimed to support the UAE’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

Emirates Red Crescent

The UAE Red Crescent is the UAE’s main relief and aid agency. Besides humanitarian assistance, it implements developmental and reconstruction projects. It started on January 31, 1983 and was internationally attested as a member in the international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in 1986.