In the UAE
6 Chances For You to Give Back During Ramadan

The essence of Ramadan doesn’t revolve only around fasting, its essence can be found in the small gestures and in giving back. It is this time of the year, where we all join our forces for the better good of the community, because it is a month that gives a spiritual relief, and a great sense of wanting to do what is better for others.
Now, in case you were wondering how you can give back this Ramadan, the following is a list of brands who are partnering with local charitable organizations, to help you make the best out of this Holy month.
1- Benefit Cosmetics x Al Jalila Foundation
For every purchase of their limited-edition ‘Days of Our Lights‘ set, Benefit will give part of the profit to Al Jalila Foundation in the UAE. In doing so, you will be helping the cosmetics company empower women and girls locally in the UAE.
What is a better way to do some good? Glowing while doing so!
Days of Our Lights includes the following:
1 face primer & 2 highlighters
Retail price: 245 AED (incl. VAT)
Available in May 2019 – Exclusively at Sephora
2- Meraas x Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital
The Real estate giant Meraas and Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital has joined hands to help draw a smile on the faces of the children at the hospital. Their campaign extends throughout Dubai, and if you want to participate, then keep an eye out for their photobooths at La Mer and The Beach. Where you will be able to donate not only money, but also new or unwanted toys.
3- Jimmy Choo x Unicef
The brand has joined forces with Unicef to show support for the world’s most vulnerable young lives. Now with every purchase from their limited-edition shimmering capsule collection, a portion of each sale will be donated.
Available exclusively in Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and UK.
You can choose from a variety of accessories, which will perfect your Eid outfits.
Avaliable online and in Jimmy Choo stores across the Middle East.
4- McDonald’s UAE x Emirates Red Crescent
Once again, for the second year in a row, McDonald’s UAE has joined forces with Emirates Red Crescent and launched its Ramadan Books campaign. If you’re wondering how to contribute, well it’s very simple, all you have to do is purchase one of the books available at McDonald’s across the UAE for only Dhs5!
Profit will go to Emirates Red Crescent, which aims this year at reinvesting the earnings into local programmes to bring about community-wide improvements.
Just last year, McDonald’s UAE’s Ramadan Books campaign was able to generate a whopping AED320,000 through the sales of more than 60,000 books, all of which was donated to Emirates Red Crescent.
“At McDonald’s UAE we believe that giving back to those less fortunate and the spirit of generosity should not be limited to a special time period – it’s an ongoing responsibility that we embrace, and are constantly looking for ways to bring about a positive change to the lives of those less fortunate all year round. I am confident that the Ramadan Books campaign, will not only deliver positivity to children, but also bring great joy to the lives of the underprivileged,” said Rafic Fakih, managing director and partner at McDonald’s UAE.
5- Dumyé
In purchasing a handmade doll from Dumyé, the UAE-based enterprise will gift another to an orphan in need. It is a simple gesture, one that will ensure that an orphan from the region will get to have a handcrafted gift for Eid.
Available from www.dumye.com
6- Marina Mall Abu Dhabi x Make A Wish Foundation
The Marina Mall Abu Dhabi has teamed up with ‘Make A Wish‘ Foundation, together they’re making the dreams of critically ill children come true!
The mall is hosting a traditional bazaar, where you can purchase abayas, paintings, handicrafts, bokhours, perfumes and other traditional Arabic accessories on sale. Best part is, ALL of the income will go to the foundation, who will then make sure that the children’s wish-list come true.
Items on their wish-list range from electronics to bedrooms, from visits to Disneyland to a pilgrimage to Mecca. And it is just the most heartwarming gesture, to take part in making someone’s dream come true.
The mall is also supporting the less fortunate with their Ramadan tent, that distributes more than 200 free daily meals to the public.
The Marina Mall’s Ramadan Bazaar is open daily throughout Ramadan.
In the UAE
Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena Will Welcome Back Visitors on November 20

Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena has announced the return of its live shows, in respect to safety procedures of course and a new protocol called ‘Venue Shield’.
The venue will welcome back audiences for the first time since February this year as OJ Lifestyle presents their Dark Knights Edition 1.0 event.
The arena first opened its doors last year in June, with many celebrities making headlines including Russell Peters and Maroon 5.
“We are very pleased to be able to provide live entertainment to the community of Dubai again, and we are excited to welcome the OJ Lifestyle team to Coca-Cola Arena on November 20th,” said Guy Ngata, CEO of Coca-Cola Arena.“There has been a tremendous amount of work implemented across many sectors in Dubai to get to this point, and we are pleased to now open our doors again with the safety of our guests of the utmost importance.” He added.
“It’s critical that we assure people they are attending a safe environment allowing fans and artists to enjoy an amazing live experience, which we are confident will be the case,” Ngata continued.
In the UAE
UAE Announced the Relaxing of Islamic laws to Promote Personal Freedoms

The United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday a massive overhaul of the country’s Islamic personal laws, which will allow unmarried couples to cohabitate and loosen the restrictions on alcohol and more.
This aims at broadening personal freedoms as the country is positioning itself as a Westernized destination for tourists. These reforms will boost the country’s economic and “consolidate the UAE’s principles of tolerance,” said state-run WAM news agency.
These changes is also a reflection for the efforts of the Emirates’ rulers to keep up with the rapidly changing society at the UAE.
The amendment will allow for “cohabitation of unmarried couples,” which has been criminalized before in the UAE and in an attempt to “protect women’s rights,” the government will also get rid of the laws that defend “honor crimes,” a widely criticized tribal custom in which a male relative may evade prosecution for assaulting a woman seen as dishonoring a family.
What do you think of the UAE’s move in adapting with the current changes that the country is facing?
In the UAE
Dubai Set to Launch Several Sustainable Projects For A Greener World!

Dubai has proven all the time its keenness on leading a sustainable life and on October 31st, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum looked at some interesting projects that are likely to transform Dubai into the ultimate destination for environmental sustainability.
Sheikh Mohammed, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai took a look at four new upcoming projects: the Green Dubai Project, the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary development, a public beach development, and the Dubai Center for Waste Processing project.
In a statement, Sheikh Mohammed said, “The UAE is committed to implementing innovative projects that optimize the use of resources and solve critical challenges as part of the country’s strategy to ensure environmental sustainability. A key element in the UAE’s development model, environmental sustainability is reflected in all initiatives and projects launched by gov’t entities, independently or in partnership with the private sector. Sustainability is key to the UAE’s future-readiness.”
The Dubai Green project will be build along the city’s Al Mamzar Creek and will be an open garden that shall be developed over the next four years. The project will cost around AED 2 billion and will contain lots of greenery and exotic flowers.
Besides having new beached and heavenly greenery, Sheikh Mohammed also shed the light on the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary project, which will preserve and develop biodiversity and ecosystems across the emirate.
The largest project so far is the Dubai Center for Waste Processing, which might be built in Warsan. It is set to be one of the world’s largest waste processing plants, and will work to achieve some of the most efficient processing and energy generations across the city.