Roads & Transport Authority - News Details

The General Secretariat of the Dubai Executive Council has visited the HQ of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and reviewed ‘Day for Dubai’ initiative launched by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the  Executive Council. The initiative is aimed at embedding the spirit of volunteering in the UAE community using non-conventional methods through encouraging community members to donate part of their time for providing expertise or skills and adopting innovative methods in supporting volunteerism over & above the conventional philanthropic means. The ‘Dubai Day’ initiative has broadened the scope of volunteering efforts, as it is no longer restricted to the financial aspects only.

The delegation highlighted the importance of volunteering works and relevant fields such as education, seniors … etc., and pointed out that joining the ‘Dubai Day’ initiative is available through the app available at (www.dayfordubai.ae).

Ms. Moaza Al Marri, Director of Marketing and Corporate Communication at RTA’s Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector said: “The gathering reviewed RTA’s policy in managing volunteering and charitable activities within or outside the RTA. It also examined the procedure of building the competency of volunteer male and female employees of the RTA and creating opportunities befitting their abilities.  The discussion covered how the RTA could improve its strategies in this regard through coordinating with public and private sectors and directing our joint initiatives to the targeted categories.

“In the context of supporting ‘Day for Dubai’ initiative, we introduced  our first innovative initiatives in this  regard ‘Kiswat Khair’ (Fine Clothing) aimed at mustering efforts of volunteers inside and outside the RTA to recondition and recycle clothes of parking attendants, bus  drivers, taxi  drivers and technical cadres, which have been disposed of following the endorsement  of  the  new uniform identity. Volunteers will sort out, adjust and repair these clothes, and press them to make them presentable in style matching the humanitarian objective. They will be distributed in collaboration with Red Crescent societies, and other concerned parties, to the needy and deprived people inside or outside the RTA,” she noted.. 

“The second initiative is related to establishing a library for audio books in collaboration with a host of publishing houses and a bunch of authors. The purpose is to provide selected books befitting the national policy of supporting people of determination in knowledge and cultural fields. The RTA will capitalise on the efforts of volunteers to transform these books into audiobooks. 

“The third participation is related to the multi-faceted improvement of the ‘Meals-on-Wheels’ initiative launched in Ramadan since 2011 for distributing daily Iftar meals in two or three districts during the month of Ramadan in collaboration with Bait Al Khair. We are also seeking to generalise this initiative throughout Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha holidays as well as the Back-to-School season,” explained Moaza.

“Gifts befitting each event will be distributed, and the ‘Meals-on-Wheels’ initiative idea will be expanded for a week during the holy month of Ramadan to cover more than five districts of Dubai each day. Volunteers will be invited to take part in preparing and processing meals instead of receiving meals from Bait Al Khair Society as used to be in the past for redistribution. Our aim is to come up with a scientific style rendering charitable activities worthy of meeting the requisites and ambitions of ‘Day for Dubai’ initiative and volunteering work in general as it forms a key pillar of the humanitarian profile of the UAE,” concluded the Director of Marketing and Corporate Communication.