Emirates Expands ‘Aircrafted KIDS’ Initiative to MENA with 800 Bag Donation in Egypt
Emirates has extended its Aircrafted KIDS initiative to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), delivering 800 upcycled school bags to two non-profit organisations in Egypt — Educate Me and Resala. This effort aligns with the airline’s broader goal of supporting education through resource provision, particularly for under-resourced communities.
The Aircrafted KIDS project, part of the ‘Aircrafted by Emirates’ collection, focuses on repurposing materials from retired aircraft into practical school supplies. The bags, crafted in-house by the Emirates Engineering team using upcycled materials from the airline’s A380 and 777 fleet, were tailored to meet the specific needs of children of different age groups.
By providing these bags along with basic school supplies such as notebooks, stationery, and locally authored books, Emirates aims to support students’ academic journeys while promoting sustainability through creative reuse. The local books offer culturally relevant content and encourage knowledge-sharing among students.
Abdalla Al Zamani, Emirates’ Country Manager for Egypt, noted, “We want to support education by making practical contributions and connecting meaningfully with the communities we serve. Egypt has long been an important market for us, and initiatives like this reflect our commitment beyond aviation.”
The Emirates team in Egypt personally visited both organisations to deliver the items and interact with the students. Both Educate Me and Resala work with children in financially disadvantaged areas, providing educational access and a supportive learning environment.
Adel AbdelFattah of Resala expressed appreciation for the initiative, noting its alignment with the organisation’s goals to expand educational access in rural regions.
“We are deeply grateful to Emirates Airline for their generous contribution, which goes far beyond school supplies. At Educate Me, we believe education is a gateway for children to shape a better future for themselves — to not just survive, but dream. This kind of support helps create a more engaging and enriching learning environment, giving students the opportunity to grow, explore, and imagine new possibilities for their lives,” commented Christine Safwat, Executive Director of Educate Me Foundation.
This initiative builds on Emirates’ earlier donations in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Dhaka, and India, with a combined total of nearly 2,000 bags distributed. The broader upcycling programme expects to recover over 50,000 kg of materials from 205 aircraft undergoing retrofits.
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