The Emirates Diving Association (EDA),in partnership with DP World, P&O Marinas, Imdaad LLC and D-Marin, successfully removed 2,197.9kg of ocean waste as part of this year’s Cleanup Arabia initiative.
The event took place in two stages.At D-Marin Port De La Mer Marina, 45 divers and a 15-strong support team removed 565.2kg of waste from the marina’s waters, and at Mina Rashid, 26 divers and 102 volunteers cleaned both the beach and surrounding waters, removing 1,632.7kg of waste.
Discarded pallets, with an estimated weight of 4-5 tonnes, which could not be taken on the day were gathered together and prepared for collection by Imdaad LLC at a later date.
Commenting on the initiative, Ibrahim Al Zu’bi, Co-Founder of the Emirates Diving Association said, “EDA’s mission is to conserve, protect and restore the UAE’s marine resources, and one of our most important initiatives to achieve this is Cleanup Arabia, which has been tidying the UAE’s coastal areas for almost three decades. Human trash that pollutes the ocean environment doesn’t just pose a threat to marine wildlife, but breaks down into microplastics that makes its way into our own food chain as well. Removing this waste is essential to a healthy environment for future generations, which is why we are extremely grateful for the support of DP World for these initiatives to protect the UAE’s coastlines.”
Nabil Qayed, Executive Vice President – Corporate Support at DP World GCC added, "With a major coastal presence through our ports, terminals and other assets, we have a key role to play in maintaining clean oceans and contributing to biodiversity preservation. The partnership with EDA aligns with the UNSDG goal to protect life below water, and we are committed to preserving our planet for future generations by reducing emissions across our global portfolio, protecting ecosystems and enhancing and restoring oceans.”
DP World’s support for Cleanup Arabia 2024 is part of its ongoing partnership with the Emirates Diving Association,which has already led to four coastal clean-ups in Dubai. The partnership has previously supported a research study with the University of Khorfakkan on the harmful Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star (CoTS) outbreak, leading to a culling operation to protect UAE East Coast coral reefs.
Cleanup Arabia was first launched by EDA in 1995, bringing together ocean enthusiasts and environmental activists to protect the coastal areas of the UAE. To date, the initiative has removed a total of 61,542.9kg of waste from the country’s coastal areas.
For further information on the EDA’s environmental initiatives, visit www.emiratesdiving.com.