Indian In Dubai Contributes To UAE’s AED 10 Million Food Drive

Bringing the authentic taste of Punjab to Dubai’ deserts, Pure Punjabi has won the hearts of millions in the UAE. The popular restaurant is famous for charcoal fired tandoors, dal makhni, kadhi pakoda, rajma masala, and many other Punjabi delicacies. And with the pandemic in place, this restaurant has gone that extra mile to serve the needy.

Amanjeet Singh, established Pure Panjabi at the end of 2012 to bring the taste and quality of Indian Punjabi food to Dubai . He believes that no man should sleep hungry and during this pandemic he contributed to UAE’s AED 10 Million Food Drive. Pure Punjabi served free food and low-cost meals to people who lost their jobs during the pandemic. The restaurant distributed over 60,000 meals to the needy, despite of it suffering from major liquidity problems. CT Dubai caught up with the owner for a tete-a-tete!

Also read: Dubai Updates Social Gathering Rules, Residents Can Now Have 30 Guests At Home

Amanjeet Helped The Needy Right From His Childhood

2020 is one year that will go down in history. The world is facing the toughest time in history and the actual trouble started when the people started losing their jobs. This was when Amanjeet decided to pay back to the community.
Even as a child, Amanjeet had the habit of giving food to the needy and the helpless. “When we were in Punjab, we used to go to Gurudwaras to distribute free food to the needy people”, said Amanjeet.

With this in mind, he decided to start an initiative that would feed the needy at a time like this. Soon, the restaurant started receiving requests. “In the food business people know where you can get cheaper food. There was a huge requirement of low cost food options”, said Amanjeet.

Also read: Billionaire Punjabi In Dubai Charters Private Jets To Help Stranded Indians Return Home

As things worsened over the months, job loss and salary cuts became a new normal. Soon, people started resorting to free food options. Amanjeet felt being a part of the food community it was his duty to feed the needy who did not have the money and means to pay for the food. Luckily, this was when the UAE government took a massive step and kicked off the AED 10 Million Meal Campaign. “We were happy and lucky that the government took action and started the AED 10 million campaign. We got an opportunity to join the campaign and serve the society”, said Amanjeet.

More Than 60,000 Meals Were Distributed

Amanjeet served the needy for over 2 months on a daily basis, through dedicated teams. The restaurant delivered food to the homes of the needy, and for people stuck here on visit visa. They also delivered food in parts of Abu Dhabi. “I will not say it was an exciting journey. Exciting is not the right word but this was a different experience altogether & we don’t want to see this again”, added Amanjeet.

Amanjeet and his team contributed to more than 60,000 meals. In addition, they also distributed thousands of free meals to the needy.

Overcoming Hurdles

Amanjeet had started off a noble initiative and his family back in India, were proud of him. However, they were also worried
as to how safe it would be for him to go from door to door and not get contaminated by the virus. But his will
and determination to serve the people was above it all.

Also read: Dubai Based Businessman Provides FREE Meals To Labour Camps

The restaurant pulled off the initiative despite financial setbacks and continued to serve low-cost meals. “During this phase even we faced liquidity issues. In the restaurant industry you work with one to two months cash flow. But as soon as the business became negligible at one point of time, we were relying only on delivery which was not that profitable,” said Amanjeet. However, the restaurant had some reserves and was able to sail through the tough phase.

Other Noble Initiatives

This was not the first time Amanjeet took part in a food drive like this. Apart from UAE’S AED 10 million food drive Amanjeet has also taken part in other food distribution
drives. The team earlier sponsored and went to the Kerala Flood Relief Camp to help the victims. Amanjeet personally visited the camp, stayed there for a week and distributed food there as well. The team also ran a food distribution campaign
in mosques during the holy month of Ramadan.

Well, there’s nothing better and bigger than standing up for the community at a time like this. “Whenever you face such a time in the history or in your family or friend circle, the easiest and the best thing to do is hold each other’s hand. You can all sail through this tough time together”, he signs off.