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MENAFN- Mid-East Info)
Over 84 hotels and caterers across the UAE commit to zero-waste frameworks for Ramadan 2026.
New MOU with Abu Dhabi National Hotels Catering (ADNH Catering) follows successful collaborative food rescue at the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025.
High-tech 'Smart Community Fridges' deployed at landmark locations, including Mall of the Emirates and The Mall at World Trade Center Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2026
ne'ma – the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative- is collaborating with the UAE hospitality sector to formalize food rescue as a standard operational practice. For Ramadan 2026, more than 84 hospitality outlets will contribute untouched surplus meals from Iftar buffets to an expanded network of Smart Community Fridges.
Khuloud Hassan Al Nuwais, Chief Sustainability Officer of Emirates Foundation and ne'ma's Committee Secretary General, commented:“Our collaboration with the hospitality industry has evolved into a sophisticated, data-driven ecosystem. By integrating 'Smart Community Fridges' and zero-waste frameworks directly into hotel operations, we are demonstrating that large-scale food rescue can be both safe and sustainable. This shift ensures that the hospitality sector, a cornerstone of the UAE's economy, becomes a key driver in our national mission to halve food waste by 2030.”
Data-Driven Impact
The Smart Community Fridges initiative has grown rapidly, increasing from 3,132 meals rescued in 2023 to 39,000 in 2025. With 31 hotels in Dubai and 46 in Abu Dhabi participating this Ramadan, the programme is set to surpass previous years in both the volume and weight of surplus food redistributed.
Key to this year's success is the strategic placement of smart refrigeration units in high-traffic areas. These units are positioned at landmark destinations, including Mall of the Emirates (2 units), City Centre Deira, Mediclinic Airport Road Hospital, The Mall at World Trade Center Abu Dhabi (2 units), Aldar Residential Areas (2 units), Erth Abu Dhabi, and NMC Royal Hospital Khalifa City.
The deployment and expansion of the Smart Community Fridges are supported through strategic partnerships with Erth Abu Dhabi, Aldar, Majid Al Futtaim, and Abu Dhabi National Hotels Catering (ADNH Catering), strengthening the operational integration of food rescue across hospitality and mixed-use destinations.
Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ne'ma last month, ADNH Catering will facilitate the collection of surplus food from its central kitchens and support the placement of Smart Community Fridges at key client locations.
Vishal Subba, Chief People Officer at Abu Dhabi National Hotels Catering (ADNH Catering), added:“Following our success in diverting perfectly edible food from landfills during the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025, ADNH Catering is proud to partner with ne'ma, the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, to scale this impact across our wider operations. By facilitating surplus meal collection from our central kitchens and supporting ne'ma's smart community fridges, we are turning operational efficiency into community support during the holy month. This partnership ensures that the high-quality food we prepare reaches those who need it most, while minimizing our environmental footprint.”
The Zero Food Waste Framework:
To ensure that these operational and strategic gains extend well beyond the Holy Month, ne'ma is embedding a rigorous technical framework within partner hotels, transforming hospitality operations into a scalable model of the circular economy.
ne'ma's Climate-Conscious UAE Zero Food Waste Events Guide, launched in November 2024, moves beyond surplus-meal redistribution, beginning in the kitchen, where precise measurement and benchmarking allow chefs to track waste against previous years to drive data-led reductions.
The strategy then extends to the dining room through behavioral nudges, using subtle on-site messaging to inspire guests toward more mindful consumption. While untouched surplus is transported via specialized cold-chain logistics, using thermal containers to maintain the highest safety standards, any non-redistributable scraps are diverted from landfills and repurposed through circular solutions, such as conversion into nutrient-rich compost and fertilizer.
Through coordinated action across the food value chain, the spirit of Ramadan serves as a catalyst for the UAE's broader ambition to halve food waste by 2030, in line with the National Food Security Strategy 2051 and SDG 12.3.
About ne'ma:
ne'ma – the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, is a response to the call to action by the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to reduce food waste, encourage individual and social responsibility, and promote sustainable practices across the food value chain.
Established in 2022, ne'ma aims to address overproduction and overconsumption and build new standards that can contribute to the reduction of food loss and food waste, reconnecting with the country's deep-rooted traditional values of social responsibility and mindful stewardship of national resources.
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