Dubai:The 18th session of the Annual EEG Clean up UAE reached the fourth stop at the Emirates of Dubai at the  AL Qudra Lakes on Saturday, 14th of December under the Patronage of the Ministry of Economy and in the presence of His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori; Minister of Economy. 

The Clean up UAE Campaign in Dubai was held in association with the Dubai Municipality, Dubai Tourism and the Seih Al Salm Protected Area. It was sponsored by NMC Healthcare and co-sponsored by McDonald’s UAE and Etihad-Esco. It witnessed an overwhelming number of enthusiastic volunteers from all sectors of society ranging from governments, corporates, academia, and families. Strong congregations of 5,340 volunteers were divided into 6 teams at 3 Locations and they were all adorning the campaign T-shirts and Caps. They were equipped with cotton gloves, biodegradable plastic bags and a strong conviction to be the solution to the pollution, they managed to cover an area spanning 18 km2 collecting 12.5 tons of waste. 

The event started with the Dubai Music Band, followed by a speech of Mrs. Habiba Al Mar’ashi -Chairperson of the Emirates Environmental Group and a welcome address from His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy.

EEG Chairperson, Mrs. Habiba Al Mar’ashi in her speech welcomed and thanked H.E. Eng. Sultan Bin Saeed and Mansoori for the patronage for the 3rd year in a row and also for his attendance and personal participation in this campaign which helps send a strong message to the corporate sector on the importance of getting involved in environmental community platforms, the Dubai Municipality, Dubai Tourism and Seih Al Salm Protected Area Management for their generous support for the campaign. She also thanked the main sponsor of the campaign: NMC Health PLC, who also generously provided the ambulance car and personnel to ensure the safety and security of the event and the co-sponsors: McDonald’s UAE and Etihad-Esco for their commitment towards grass-root environmental campaigns aimed at engaging the UAE society at large. 

A special mention of appreciation was given to the Dubai Police in providing a music band that gave a wonderful festive mood to the programme and motivated the participants to roll up their sleeves and work hard to ensure that the whole area is clean and the control of traffic. In addition, she thanked Al Fujairah Plastic Factory for providing biodegradable bags, Al Jazeera International Catering for the snacks, Al Marai for juices, Nestle Middle East for water, Byrne Equipment for portable toilets, and a special thank you was extended to Gulf News for their media partnership. 
 

She further added: “The 18th cycle of the Clean up campaign has been rallying across the 7 emirates under the slogan of “Are you the Solution to this Pollution?” which brought a strong response from the student community “Yes we are the solution for this pollution”. As an accredited organisation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), EEG is proud to announce that the Clean Up UAE 2019 campaign has acted as an effective tool in the implementation of the following sustainable development goals: Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; 13: Climate Action; Goal 15: Life on Earth; Goal 17: Partnerships for Goals.”
H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy, shared that the preservation of the environment, including the special attention placed on issues like sustainability and climate change, remain top priorities across today’s civilized and responsible societies. In the light of the vision of its wise leadership, the UAE has constantly re-affirmed its commitment towards protecting the environment, preserving its diversity and sustaining its natural resources—which are all part of the goals set forth in UAE Vision 2021 and are also included in the indicators of the national agenda that is focused on ensuring a prosperous future and a sustainable environment for future generations to enjoy.
H.E. added that the ‘CLEAN UP UAE’ campaign reflects an important aspect of the country’s efforts to take care of the environment, maintaining its integrity and cleanliness. The move complements the slogan of 2019 as a ‘Year of Tolerance,’ by bringing together members of society on a common and noble goal, which is to preserve and develop the environment and our planet.
H.E. continued by saying, "We are delighted to participate in this effective national initiative that aims to come up with a better environment and support it. The choice of Al Qudra Lake site for implementing the initiative this year sends a strong and meaningful message to the community about the value of cherishing our environment and raising awareness on the protection of its beautiful natural resources. We fully understand the importance of the impact that people can make through their behavior towards their environment and their willingness to bring about positive change that will be reflected in development and prosperity.”
Mr. Prasanth Manghat said: “We are working to ensure we don't only protect the environment; we also improve the overall ecology that we live in. Accordingly, our plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man. We also believe one cannot protect the environment unless we empower people; we must inform them, and then help them understand that these resources are their own and that they must protect them as the need to protect the environment has emerged as an undeniably important priority for us. I think today we recognise that economic activity needs to protect the environment.”