L’Oréal Middle East has launched a UAE solidarity programme to support stakeholders involved in the fight against COVID-19.

More than 84,000 essential and personal care products worth AED 4 million have been donated to NGOs and public hospitals, with the group also supporting its employees, suppliers and salon partners through a series of initiatives. In solidarity with the nation’s wider relief efforts, L’Oréal Middle East has implemented the following measures:

• Hospitals: La Roche-Posay, the brand recommended by dermatologists worldwide for sensitive skin, has donated skincare packages to doctors and nurses at hospitals across the UAE. With round the clock hand washing and personal protection gear worn all day, those providing the country’s first line of defense are increasingly prone to skin damage and irritation. The brand is supporting them with skincare products to help alleviate any resulting physical or emotional distress, and as a token of appreciation for their devotion and sacrifice.

• Impacted communities: L’Oréal Middle East has partnered with the Emirates Red Crescent Authority to support the Emirates Humanitarian Fund campaign to assist communities impacted by the economic crisis that has resulted from the pandemic. More than 58,000 essential care products were distributed to those in need, including families and laborers – both in the community as well as those at the Group’s key supplier partners. 

• Salon partners and suppliers: L’Oréal Middle East has shortened payment terms for all suppliers exposed to the crisis with systematic immediate payment in addition to freezing the payments of 740 independent salons when their operations were suspended. The Group is also conducting training sessions on concrete safety guidelines to ensure the safest conditions possible for the reopening of salons, as well as, supplying 15,000 protective masks and 4,000 bottles of purifying cleaning gel. The Group has also prioritised education to support hairdressers and expand their knowledge through the world’s largest e-learning platform, ‘L’Oréal Access’.

• Solidarity with our employees: With people at the core of its business, L’Oréal Middle East has maintained full salaries and employment to date. Meanwhile, the company has taken all safety measures to ensure the health and wellbeing of its employees who have been working from home since March.

The initiative complements L’Oréal Group’s global solidarity program that supported key workers at the front line in striving to curtail the spread of COVID-19 and donated 1 million euros to its partner non-profit organisations to help impacted communities, in Europe.

Commenting on its UAE solidarity initiative, Remi Chadapaux, L’Oréal Middle East Managing Director, said: “We want to express our appreciation to all front-line workers who, day after day, put others first to fight the pandemic. We are truly humbled and inspired by their commitment to the common good. We also want to show solidarity to all those individuals and businesses impacted as a result of COVID-19 and do what we can to help them through these challenging times. A crisis such as this requires everyone to work together in support of the wider relief efforts. That is why we have introduced our UAE Solidarity Programme: a set of actionable initiatives that will make a tangible difference to people’s lives.”

Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarooni, Director of the Emirates Red Crescent in Dubai, commented: “We are pleased to collaborate with L’Oréal Middle East’s UAE solidarity programme and are grateful for the Group’s ongoing support which helped impacted communities during the crisis. We also recognise the efforts made by our diverse community, both as institutions and individuals, and thank the volunteers who continuously extend unwavering support to our society."