Clean UAE Volunteer Clean-Up 2026 in the UAE

The Clean UAE volunteer clean-up returns from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 15 December 2026, starting in Dubai and moving through all seven emirates before a finale in Abu Dhabi. Run by the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), this is the 25th cycle of the national campaign, a silver jubilee edition that sends volunteers into cities, deserts, beaches and mountains to collect waste and send as much of it as possible for recycling.

Taking part costs nothing, but registration is required, and you choose the emirate and day that fit your schedule.

25 years of the Clean UAE campaign

Clean UAE is EEG’s flagship environmental programme. It was launched in 2002 and is one of the country’s longest-running environmental initiatives, while EEG itself was established in 1991. The 25th cycle was formally launched at a silver jubilee press conference in Dubai, and the campaign continues under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. Its main sponsors for 2026 are McDonald’s UAE, Salik and Tristar Group.

The campaign brings together government entities, private companies, schools and universities, diplomatic missions, community groups and individual volunteers. Over the years more than one million volunteers have taken part, collecting more than 1.75 million kilograms of waste and helping to restore more than 1,288 square kilometres of land.

The 2026 route, emirate by emirate

Each day of the campaign focuses on one emirate, which lets EEG concentrate volunteers and equipment at a few large sites rather than spreading them thinly. The schedule announced for the 25th cycle is:

• Dubai: Saturday 5 December, the opening day
• Sharjah: Monday 7 December
• Fujairah: Wednesday 9 December
• Ajman: Thursday 10 December
• Umm Al Quwain: Saturday 12 December
• Ras Al Khaimah: Monday 14 December
• Abu Dhabi: Tuesday 15 December, the finale

Because the stops move across the country, most people in the UAE will have a clean-up within reach of home or work. If your team is based in Dubai, the opening day is the obvious choice; if you are in the northern emirates, the Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain or Ras Al Khaimah days are closer. EEG shares the exact sites and timings with registered participants.

What volunteers actually do

The work is hands-on. Volunteers comb through a set area in groups, picking up litter and bagging it, and the waste is then sorted so that most of it can go for recycling. Sites range from urban areas and beaches to desert and mountain terrain, depending on the emirate.

The scale is what makes Clean UAE different from a small beach tidy-up. In the 2025 edition more than 84,000 participants removed over 45,000 kilograms of waste, and the Dubai launch day alone drew around 8,500 volunteers. In Fujairah, participants removed 3,272 kilograms of waste in a single day. Alongside the clean-ups, the campaign runs awareness activities aimed at encouraging long-term environmental habits, particularly among young people.

The format has stayed familiar across the years. The 24th cycle ran between 6 and 16 December 2025 and also ended in Abu Dhabi, while the 20th cycle in 2021 brought around 1,200 participants together in the Maliha area of Sharjah for its desert clean-up. That steady rhythm, one emirate after another over roughly ten days each December, is what has let the campaign grow from a single initiative into a national fixture.

Who can join the Clean UAE volunteer clean-up

EEG invites companies, government bodies, schools, diplomatic missions, community groups and individuals to take part. It works well as a team volunteering day for a company, a practical environmental lesson for a school or university group, and a way for families and friends to give something back to the places they use every weekend. Businesses can also join as campaign partners, which is worth asking about if your organisation wants a bigger role than sending a team.

The official page leans towards organisations registering as groups. If you want to take part on your own, contact EEG directly and they can tell you which site and day suit you.

How to register and contact EEG

Register through the form linked on the official Clean UAE page, which is the ticket link on this page. If you are bringing a large group, registering well ahead helps EEG plan numbers and allocate a site. Some clean-up areas, such as beaches and desert spots, are outside city centres, so check access details with the organisers once your site is confirmed, and follow any safety briefing given on the day.

EEG’s office is in Jumeirah 1, Dubai. The team can be reached on +971 4 344 8622 or at eeg@emirates.net.ae.

Clean UAE is one of the most useful ways to spend a December morning in the country. For more ideas across the month, see our guides to things to do in December, things to do in Dubai for the opening day, and things to do in Abu Dhabi if you are joining the finale.