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Dubai Municipality announced the success of the “An Hour with a Cleaning Engineer” initiative in organizing 120 field volunteer activities during the first half of 2024. These activities resulted in documenting more than 5,160 hours of volunteer work, an achievement that confirms the vital role of volunteer opportunities in supporting efforts to preserve the environment and clean the city and enhance the civilized appearance of the emirate, and highlights the importance of the culture of volunteer work as a fundamental element in Dubai’s sustainability and progress.
Through this initiative, Dubai Municipality was able to enhance community participation in the field of public cleanliness, as the initiative attracted 5,160 volunteers from 105 different entities, and succeeded in collecting more than 5 tons of public waste, 40% of which was recycled and diverted from landfill in cooperation with the private sector. The initiative also included organizing events to distribute gifts and meals to more than 300 sanitation engineers, in a step that enhances the human and social dimension of the initiative, and contributes to appreciating the efforts made by this important category in maintaining the cleanliness of Dubai.
The initiative succeeded in documenting the collection of large quantities of cigarette butts, which were fully recycled in cooperation with the private sector, in a distinguished effort to preserve the environment and reduce harmful waste. Participants were also able to remove more than 55 kg of random advertising posters that distorted the general appearance of the walls of buildings, public and service facilities in commercial areas and markets.
The initiative achieved great success in 2023, attracting 7,089 volunteers from 134 government, private and civil institutions. This broad participation reflected a comprehensive societal diversity, as it included different segments of the local community, including employees, students and families, in addition to people of determination interested in environmental service and city cleanliness.
On this occasion, Eng. Saeed Safar, Director of Waste Operations Department at Dubai Municipality, said: “In conjunction with the Year of Sustainability declared by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may God protect him, and based on Dubai Municipality’s keenness to embody the vision of the wise leadership in the Dubai Government, the Municipality is working to support the application of the principles and concepts of social responsibility and sustainability in institutional work. Dubai Municipality has adopted the best global administrative practices and standards to implement an effective system for managing social responsibility, which allows the selection, direction, implementation and support of social responsibility initiatives, whether field or administrative, in various fields. This aims to enhance the satisfaction and happiness of employees, the community and relevant stakeholders, by creating comprehensive volunteer and interactive opportunities in all aspects of municipal work.”
