MAF Shopping Malls to raise funds for charity during the holy month of Ramadan

As part of the regional charity drive, MAF shopping malls including Mall of the Emirates, Deira, Sharjah and Ajman City Centres will partner with Red Crescent to accept charitable donations across the emirates. Visitors will be encouraged to contribute items like clothes, toys and non-perishable foods that will be donated to families in need.

In Oman, Muscat City Centre and the Oman Charity Organisation will raise funds for the victims of the war in Lebanon. The mall has also partnered with Oman Women's Association to collect clothes, toys and non-perishable foods for orphans and families in need. Visitors to Maadi and Alexandria City Centres in Egypt, will also be encouraged to contribute to charity.

Making the announcement, Graham Dreverman, CEO, MAF Shopping Malls said, "Ramadan is a time to think of those less fortunate than ourselves. On average, MAF shopping malls welcome nearly 6 million people each month, across the region. Through this charity drive we hope to encourage our many customers to embrace the spirit of Ramadan and donate generously."

During the holy month, malls in the UAE including Mall of the Emirates, Deira, Sharjah and Ajman City Centres will stay open till 1.00 a.m. and it is likely that restaurants and leisure facilities may stay open even later.

"We have noticed that shoppers come to the mall with their friends and families after their iftar and esha prayers. They tend to stay later and the management has decided to shift the mall timings to accommodate the needs of our valued customers. We are also expecting our restaurants and cafes, which will open at Iftar, to be in high demand and many of them will be offering banquet options," added Dreverman.

Shoppers visiting MAF Shopping Malls during this month will be pleasantly surprised with the wide variety of activities being organized by the different malls. The main focus of these activities is cultural entertainment and explanation of the Islam religion. Activities include a Majlis created in the Galleria area of Mall of the Emirates and live demonstrations by calligraphy artists and handicraft makers.

Deira, Sharjah and Ajman City Centre will change the décor of the mall to look like a traditional souk, where customers can take a step back in time and experience the spirit of Ramadan. Some of the malls are also running Ramadan promotions so that our customers can shop and win, keeping with Ramadan's spirit of giving.

"The Majid Al Futtaim Group is a responsible business, we have an obligation to give back to the communities we operate in. The Ramadan charity activity is one such initiative that has become a tradition within our group and one which we will endeavor to sustain," concluded Dreverman.