Dubai Duty Free has donated AED 3m ($816,771) towards the UAE Water Aid campaign (UAE Suqia), which was launched this Ramadan by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

 

The campaign is aimed at providing safe drinking water for an estimated 5m people who suffer from a shortage of potable water worldwide.

 

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free handed over the cheque to Mohammed Abdulla Al-Zarooni, Manager, Dubai Chapter of Red Crescent, at a ceremony in the airport retailer’s headquarters in Ramoul.

 

McLoughlin said: “Dubai Duty Free is happy to support this great initiative by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which will enrich the lives of so many people around the world by providing them with clean drinking water.

 

61 COUNTRIES WIDE

“Launched during the Holy Month of Ramadan, the programme is very much in line with our own Foundation’s objective of working with local and international charities to alleviate suffering, particularly that of children. We hope that our contribution to UAE Water Aid will help extend the drilling projects even further.”

 

The UAE Water Aid Campaign will be implemented through the drilling of wells and facilitating the provision of water pumps and water purification equipment in areas in need. The UAE Red Crescent has started drilling water wells in Afghanistan, Arbil and Tanzania. The projects of the campaign will be carried out in 61 countries in the world.

 

The Dubai Duty Free Foundation was established in 2004 under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Dubai Duty Free, with Colm McLoughlin as the Foundation’s Chairman.