The world’s tallest building switched on a light to represent each donated meal for families in the Emirates financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Rabat – Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, has been transformed into the largest “donation box” in the world. The building is part of a campaign supporting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) residents financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Standing at an impressive 828 meters tall, the Burj Khalifa campaign called for individual donations of AED 10 ($2.70), enough to buy one meal. With each donation, one external light switched on.
The campaign, launched 9 days ago, has successfully raised funds to provide 1.2 million meals and fully illuminated the skyscraper.
Donors were also given the opportunity to bid for the light at the top of the tower.
“The [Burj Khalifa] initiative allowed donors to see the direct impact of their contributions,” said Khaled Al Shehhi, the project’s campaign director.
Contributions to the cause came from 115 countries and included international corporations such as Amazon.
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The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) foundation is the organizing party responsible for the fundraiser, which aims to provide 10 million meals for low-income families throughout the holy month of Ramadan.
Tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs in the UAE since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Migrant workers, many of whom already live under vulnerable circumstances, have been especially impacted by the hard-hit economy.
In the Gulf region, the UAE has the second-highest number of COVID-19 related deaths, after Saudi Arabia, amounting to 203 of the state’s 19,661 confirmed cases.
