What To Know
- The City Walk branch is run by hard-of-hearing baristas who communicate in sign language — a simple coffee run that also helps build a more inclusive city (and you might learn a few phrases too).
- A thrift concept operating with a sustainability-first mindset, donating profits to charity while giving pre-loved fashion a second life.
- Grab a coffee, tea, or cake and support a workplace built around inclusion.
This Ramadan, giving back can be as simple as where you grab your coffee, book a lunch, or shop for something new.
From inclusive cafes and zero-waste restaurants to thrift stores and toy-sharing platforms, these Dubai businesses are making a real difference in the community.
Quick Guide
- Best for inclusive coffee: 21 Café, Peet’s Coffee
- Best for sustainability: BOCA, Lowe, Thrift for Good
- Best for families: Toyshare Dubai
- Best for art + community: Mawaheb, Pitfire (Box Art)
How to support (without overthinking it)
- Choose one place from this list and visit once this week.
- Share their mission on your Instagram story (tag them).
- Buy one item you actually need — from a brand that gives back.
- Bring a friend: impact multiplies.
12 Dubai Businesses That Give Back
Note: Opening times and activations can change during Ramadan. It’s smart to check their official pages before you go.
1) 21 Café
Supports: Inclusion
A warm, friendly cafe created to raise awareness and acceptance of Down Syndrome, while employing people of determination.
Grab a coffee, tea, or cake and support a workplace built around inclusion.
2) BOCA
Supports: The planet
Sustainable dining done seriously: renewable energy, published carbon reports, fewer single-use plastics, and a strong focus on local sourcing.
3) Café Isan
Supports: Thai communities + animal rescue
A long-time favourite for Thai food in Dubai with a bigger mission: supporting schools and orphanages in Thailand, helping community elders, and actively assisting the UAE animal rescue scene for cats.
4) KAVE
Supports: Upcycling
A creative Alserkal Avenue hangout built around upcycling: turning unwanted materials into art, homeware, and furniture. Watch for workshops if you want to learn and join in.
5) Lowe
Supports: Zero-waste dining
The Waste-Less lunchtime menu transforms what would have been kitchen scraps into a creative two- or three-course meal.
A delicious way to back smarter food systems.
6) Mawaheb
Supports: People of determination
An art studio offering creative classes all year, plus a cafe and store where you can buy items designed by students.
It’s community support you can see and carry with you.
7) Peet’s Coffee (City Walk)
Supports: Deaf inclusion
The City Walk branch is run by hard-of-hearing baristas who communicate in sign language — a simple coffee run that also helps build a more inclusive city (and you might learn a few phrases too).
8) Pitfire (Box Art Program)
Supports: Local artists
Pitfire’s Box Art Program invites local artists to submit designs, with winning artwork printed on delivery boxes across the city — giving artists real visibility, at scale.
9) To Gather Café (Sharjah)
Supports: Deafness + inclusive communication
An inclusive cafe where ordering is done through sign language. Staff help teach gestures so you can communicate better beyond the cafe too.
10) The Giving Movement
Supports: Education + sustainability
A Dubai-born athleisure brand built around sustainability and charitable support, with locally focused sourcing and a giving model tied to purchases. Founded in 2020 by Dominic Nowell-Barnes, the brand says it has donated over US$7 million since launch.
11) Thrift for Good
Supports: Charity + sustainable shopping
A thrift concept operating with a sustainability-first mindset, donating profits to charity while giving pre-loved fashion a second life. Expect a strong mix of high-street and designer finds.
12) Toyshare Dubai
Supports: Children in need + smart reuse
A toy-and-book sharing service that rotates pre-loved items (deep-cleaned between rentals), helping families reduce clutter and waste. After multiple uses, toys and books are donated via Toys with Wings to children in need.
Ramadan Giving Tip
If you want your support to feel real: pick one place from this list and make it your Ramadan habit —a weekly coffee, a lunch booking, a thrift visit, or a toy-share signup. Consistency beats “one-time” support.
