DUBAI, UAE – Building on its successful six-year partnership with the Emirates Red Crescent, McDonald’s in the UAE has launched a new ongoing donation initiative in collaboration with the Red Crescent Medical Centre, with the goal of providing free medical services to more than 3,000 patients in need across the UAE each month.
Customers can contribute to this initiative by donating at the self-order kiosk during their next visit to a McDonald’s restaurant in the UAE or by donating reward points through the McDonald’s app, with 100 reward points worth AED 1. Every donation directly supports the Red Crescent Medical Centre’s mission to provide free medical care to those in need.
Founded by the Emirates Red Crescent in 2008, the Red Crescent Medical Centre is the only medical centre in the UAE that provides free medical care to people in need, regardless of nationality, age or gender. Located in Al Ramla West, Sharjah, the medical centre offers free medical services in over 18 specialties, including general surgery, paediatrics, internal medicine and radiology.
The Red Crescent Medical Center not only provides medical services, but also has its own pharmacy that provides essential medicines and medical equipment such as wheelchairs to those in need. The medical center relies on the support and donations of the community to run. The more money we donate, the more doctors we can send, the more medicines we can obtain, and the more medical equipment we can provide.
Commenting on the announcement, Walid Faqih, CEO of McDonald’s UAE, said: “As a locally-owned business that has operated in the UAE for 30 years, supporting those in need has always been at the core of our commitment to the community. We are honoured to expand our partnership with Emirates Red Crescent and work with our generous customers to further support the Red Crescent Medical Centre.”
He added: “The Emirates Red Crescent plays a major role in making a positive impact in the local community and we will continue to work closely with them and support them in any way we can. Through this ongoing effort, we hope to support those in need and strengthen the efforts of the Red Crescent Medical Centre.”
Dr. Mohamed Salem Al Junaibi, Director of the Red Crescent Medical Centre, also commented: “We are pleased to further strengthen our strong partnership with McDonald’s UAE in support of the Red Crescent Medical Centre. Their continued donations are vital and will help us support up to 3,000 patients each month, while also enabling us to welcome an average of 500 new patients each month. Following on from our previous efforts, this move reaffirms the value of such platforms in facilitating ongoing charitable donations and our commitment to addressing local humanitarian challenges.”
McDonald’s UAE has partnered with the UAE Red Crescent to support humanitarian efforts across the country, donating more than AED 4 million to date and with employees regularly volunteering. This new initiative builds on a history of successful campaigns, such as McDonald’s UAE Ramadan 2024 Points Donation Campaign, which donated AED 300,000 to the Red Crescent Medical Center.
Donations are currently being collected across all McDonald’s restaurants in the UAE and through the McDonald’s app, which will go directly towards the medical costs of up to 3,000 patients each month.
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About McDonald’s UAE:
Operating in the country since 1994, McDonald’s UAE serves the needs of the local community with over 200 restaurants geographically distributed to serve customers in different regions. McDonald’s UAE is committed to maintaining the highest quality of the products served in each restaurant and McCafé through its Food Safety Commitment. In 2024, McDonald’s UAE was named the first Best Workplace in the UAE by Great Place to Work.
McDonald’s UAE is proud to be part of the local community and has been committed to its role as a responsible corporate citizen since its presence in the country. Following a proactive social responsibility agenda, the company has been a long-standing partner of the Emirates Red Crescent Society and supports charitable and humanitarian efforts.
To generate wider environmental benefits and further contribute to the wellbeing of the local community, McDonald’s UAE and Emirates Environment Group have partnered to promote green values, implement sustainable practices and reduce the country’s carbon footprint. This is driven by a biodiesel initiative launched in July 2011, where 100% of used cooking oil collected from McDonald’s UAE restaurants is converted into 100% biodiesel to fuel the company’s logistics vehicles. As a result, since the start of the partnership, trucks have run more than 23.6 million km on 100% biodiesel, reducing CO2e emissions by more than 25 million kg.
For more information about McDonald’s UAE, please visit www.mcdonalds.com or contact Weber Shandwick at McDonaldsuae@webershandwick.com.