Majid Al Futtaim announces its annual ‘Make A Difference’ campaign

Majid Al Futtaim launched its 11^th annual ‘Make A Difference’ campaign today, which encourages the act of giving during the holy month of Ramadan.

Majid Al Futtaim’s Ramadan campaign promotes kindness within the community by allowing people to make a difference through the donation of everyday essentials – including clothes, toys, books, food and electronics – to families in need.

This year, the Make A Difference campaign has been developed in line with the ‘Year of Giving’ in the UAE, an initiative by UAE president His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which promotes strategies and programmes intended to celebrate the virtues of giving and cement philanthropy in the heart of the nation.

“We continue to be inspired by the UAE leadership’s commitment to introduce powerful and worthwhile initiatives like the Year of Giving,” says Alain Bejjani, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim – Holding. “During Ramadan, we are embracing the act of giving with our annual campaign and hope that it plays its part in truly making a difference in people’s lives. The continuous success of the Make A Difference Ramadan campaign each year is testament to the spirit of the local communities in which we operate and we hope the success of the campaign continues for many more years to come.”

Commencing on the first day of Ramadan and continuing into Eid, Majid Al Futtaim will have special donation boxes placed at its shopping malls, leisure and entertainment destinations, as well as Carrefour stores across Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Oman and the UAE.

People can also follow the campaign on social media by using the #ShareTogether hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Majid Al Futtaim employees will also embrace the spirit of giving by taking part in a number of initiatives during the holy month. In collaboration with Red Crescent, employees will help less fortunate children celebrate the joy of Ramadan by hosting a special ifter for them.

Employees will also host an iftar for workers at Majid Al Futtaim construction sites and will prepare gift packs for them as part of the ‘We’ve Got Your Back’ campaign. Ahead of the distribution of donated items at the end of the campaign, employees will gather with their families to fill the Eid boxes with the donations made.

In addition, Majid Al Futtaim will partner with Fetchr to make the donation process more seamless in the UAE. The partnership will enable customers to contribute to the Make A Difference campaign easily, as Fetchr has committed to picking up donations and delivering them to Majid Al Futtaim destinations free of charge. Customers need to download the application and place a ‘send’ order using the standard service. They should then enter the pick-up location and time, and enter the promo-code ‘Donate’ for free collection and delivery.

Across the region, Majid Al Futtaim is once again partnering with charitable organisations such as the Islamic Association in Bahrain, Ahl Masrin Egypt, Bassma and Al-Mabarrat Association in Lebanon, Dar Al-Atta in Oman and Red Crescent in the UAE, ensuring timely and appropriate distribution of all donated goods through their humanitarian network during Ramadan.

Last year, over 13,000 people contributed more than 63,000 books, 46,500 toys and 52,000 kg of clothes through the campaign and the company also received $84,868 (AED311,699) in cash donations from customers.