Dubai Deploys Smart Vending Machines To Feed The Needy With Free ‘Bread For All’

Underprivileged families and workers in Dubai will now be able to enjoy free bread at various times of the day, thanks to a new ‘Bread For All’ initiative that will use smart vending machines to prepare and serve fresh bakes at no cost. 

The project, thought up by High Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, echoed the statement he shared at the beginning of the pandemic, in which no one in the country “sleeps hungry or in need.” 

According to a press release, the vending machines are part of a modern and sustainable charity framework, where ten pre-programmed installations will be stationed at accessible supermarkets across the city. 

Dubbed a “single step” process, one simply has to press the user-friendly “order” button on the machine and retrieve the fresh bread when it’s dispensed after a short wait. 

“This initiative is an exemplary model for an innovative community endowment that allows everyone to participate, creating a comprehensive charity movement and enhancing the spirit of solidarity among various social segments,” remarked Ali Al Mutawa, Secretary General of the Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF). 

“We look forward to expanding the scope of cooperation with the initiative’s partners in the local community to reach the most beneficiaries,” he added. 

Those seeking to donate to the effort will be able to do so directly at the vending machines, the Dubai Now application, or via text message. Others can volunteer to contribute to the setting up of more smart machines.

Head here for more information on how to help. 

[via Food Matters Live and WAM, cover image via WAM]