Dubai: The 21st cycle of ‘Clean UAE’ campaign that started on December 5 in Ajman, concluded on a high note with the participation of 50,943 volunteers during the final leg of the annual clean-up drive on December 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Organised by Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), under the patronage of Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and in association with Ministry of Community Development, the campaign this year took place in all seven emirates and recorded 61,646 participants who collected 40,404kg, covering a total area of 38.5 square kilometres.
Social practice
Habiba Al Mar’ashi, EEG co-founder and chairperson of EEG, said: “The ethos of EEG is to instil an environmental social practice amongst all sectors of the society to protect the environment and adopt sustainable habits. Our flagship campaign – the Clean UAE is the longest and largest environmental movement in the country and aims to protect the natural habitat for the wildlife to thrive and to focus on tourist destinations and ensuring a clean and healthy environment for all.”
“EEG is immensely grateful to the visionary leadership of our country who have facilitated a unique, safe, secure and healthy environment for all. EEG is gratified to take forward the environmental legacy left behind by the Father of our Nation, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (may his soul rest in peace),” she added.
Al Mar’ashi continued: “I would like to conclude with a quote from [the UAE’s Founding Father, the late] Sheikh Zayed – ‘We have worked, since the establishment of our state, to protect the environment and wildlife. These achievements should be an incentive for us, particularly the Emirati youth, the future generation, to continue taking care of and keeping the environment safe and clean because if we don’t, we shall destroy the resources that Allah blessed us with; these resources are not ours alone, they also belong to our children and their children’.”
Environmental partners
Al Mar’ashi thanked the supporters of the campaign: Abu Dhabi City Municipality represented by Al Shahama Municipality Center and Musaffah Municipality Center. She further expressed her gratitude to McDonald’s UAE, co-sponsor for the event; the support sponsors: Dubai Investments, UPS, Canpack and FARNEK; Logistical supporters – Fujairah Plastics Factory, Al Ain Water, Almarai, Del Monte, Golden Loaf, Golden Spike, Tetra Pak, Byrne Equipment Rental, Aster and du, as well as Pan Asian Media and Gulf News as media partner.
