UD Trucks - the Japanese truck manufacturer, and part of Volvo Group, and the world's largest tire and rubber company - Bridgestone, and Abu Dhabi’s conglomerate - Al Masaood Group, joined forces for a brand new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaign aimed at educating truck drivers about the importance of health and hygiene practices in the battle against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

'Serving our Heroes'is a CSR initiative that sought to provide local truck drivers with the essential safety tools needed to avoid any virus propagation. As part of the campaign, the partnering organisations, in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Ports, distributed safety kits to over 900 truck drivers across various truck rest areas in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, including Khalifa Port. The recently launched campaign looked towards paying tribute to the important role that truck drivers play in our lives--devoting long hours to ensure the delivery of goods and commodities across the country even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The distributed packages contained essential items such as N95 masks, gloves, hand sanitizers and wet wipes to protect truck drivers during these times. In addition, the packages included a specially designed A5 leaflet bearing safety information written in Arabic, English, Hindi and Urdu. Mourad Hedna, President, UD Trucks Middle East, said, "UD Trucks understands the important role played by all truck drivers in the country. Every year, around 3,000 HD. MD trucks are sold in the UAE, with the heavy-duty trucks alone making up 6% of the total road traffic (cars and light commercial vehicles included). In the UAE, logistics is the lifeblood of our society. As the world continues to face these extraordinary times, these brave men are on the road every day to make sure that basic goods are delivered on time. We believe that this campaign is an important initiative that can help serve our community and honour the front-liners who were continuously on the roads even when cities were locked down.

Stefano Sanchini, Regional Managing Director, Bridgestone, stated, “The 'Serving our Heroes' CSR campaign reflects our belief in serving society with superior quality. For many years now, Bridgestone has been an advocate for health and safety--a value that is highlighted in the quality of our products. This is a highly significant campaign as it helps in ensuring that truck driversare

aware of their health condition and can take adequate preventative measures to ensure their own well-being.

"In this period of unprecedented global disruption, Al Masaood is endeavouring to play its part to support the community in any way and assure business continuity as a key pillar. The launch of the 'Serving our Heroes’ campaign, demonstrates our recognition of the key contributions of truck drivers by making them aware about the significance of health and hygiene practices in the move to curb the spread of COVID-19. This CSR initiative reflects our continuing support for the government's efforts to preserve the welfare of the community"Ahmed Rahma Al Masaood, Vice Chairman, Al Masaood, concluded.