Sheikh Mohammed launches ‘1 Billion Meals’ dates factory to feed millions worldwide

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. has announced that a 1 Billion Meals Dates Factory, the world’s largest endowment dates factory, will be built to support global hunger relief efforts.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives has embarked on the dates facility, in partnership with stakeholders. The factory is expected to produce around 150 million date-based food units annually, primarily aimed at children suffering from malnutrition and vulnerable communities facing food insecurity.

بدأت مبادرات محمد بن راشد بالتعاون مع الشركاء العمل على أكبر مصنع وقفي للتمور في العالم … الهدف انتاج 150 مليون وحدة غذائية مدعمة بالتمر سنوياً مخصصة للأطفال الذين يعانون من سوء التغذية ولمكافحة الجوع في المجتمعات الأقل حظاً.

حبانا الله في الإمارات والمنطقة بهذه النخلة… pic.twitter.com/slEH4CXUKq

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) April 24, 2026

Writing on his official X account, Sheikh Mohammed said that the initiative seeks to transform dates, long a staple of life in the UAE and the wider region, into a high-value nutritional product capable of making a meaningful contribution to combating hunger worldwide.

“God has blessed us in the UAE and the wider region with this blessed palm. We have lived from it, and many communities have lived from it as well. Today, we seek to transform it into a high-value food product that contributes to combating hunger around the world. God is the ultimate grantor of success, first and last,” the Vice President added.