GIVING IN THE UAE

Sharing fridges: kindness on the doorstep.

A fridge, cold water, a few dates: how neighbours across the UAE made giving as simple as opening a door.

How it started

During Ramadan in 2016, a few residents in Dubai placed fridges outside their homes and offices and filled them with cold water, juice, fruit and snacks for anyone who needed them. A volunteer group formed on social media, and the idea spread quickly: within a year there were around 150 sharing fridges in Dubai, with more in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, marked on an online map so donors and passers-by could find them.

How it works

Neighbours take turns to refill each fridge, sometimes ten to fifteen times a day, and a single fridge can serve a hundred people or more. The fridges hold water, juice, laban, fruit, dates, biscuits and packaged food; leftovers and hot meals are not accepted, to keep everything safe. In its early years the campaign ran with the UAE Red Crescent and the volunteer group Open Arms UAE.

Nobody signs up, nobody is asked a question, and nobody has to say thank you. Anyone can open the door and take what they need, whatever their nationality or background.

What we take from it

The sharing fridges show how much a small, simple gesture can do when many people make it together, and how dignified giving can be. 10×10 shares that spirit, with one difference: we give face to face, with a smile and a few words, so that the people who keep our neighbourhoods running know that they are seen.

If you would like to set up a sharing fridge next Ramadan, check the current guidelines with the organisers and your community first.