Take a Breath

is a UAE wide awareness and educational initiative drawing attention to the quality of indoor air and the importance of monitoring and improving it.

About the Campaign

TAKE A BREATH – Improving Indoor Air is an ongoing awareness campaign that raises attention to how indoor air quality affects our health and wellbeing.

It encourages people and organisations to monitor indoor air, helping them identify where pollutants come from and take practical steps to reduce allergens and improve the air we breathe.

Supported by our Take a Breath partners, the campaign aims to create cleaner, healthier indoor spaces across the UAE.

Who is this campaign for? This initiative is for everyone – from the public and private sectors to schools, universities, and communities. The goal is simple: to educate, raise awareness, and inspire collective action in homes, classrooms, workplaces, and public spaces throughout the country.

Online Learning Platform - Free For School Communities Across the UAE

The Take a Breath Online Learning Platform is a free, interactive resource designed for students in Years 4–6 / Grades 3–5 (ages 8–11).

It helps students discover the importance of indoor air quality through animated videos, interactive games, and hands-on activities that build awareness and inspire real action to improve air quality in their schools and homes. The platform also supports educators by providing ready-to-use content aligned with national science curriculums, helping teachers easily integrate air quality topics into classroom lessons.

With dedicated sections for students, teachers, school leaders, and parents, every group has access to tailored tools and resources that encourage learning, engagement, and collaboration across the entire school community.

In addition, school management and parents can connect directly with solution providers to explore practical ways to improve air quality in classrooms, households, and beyond.

👉 Discover the Take a Breath Interactive Learning Platformhere

School Study

As part of the Take a Breath initiative, an in-depth study was conducted in 10 UAE schools during the 2023–2024 academic year.

The study measured indoor air quality (IAQ) in classrooms before and after implementing targeted solutions, helping researchers develop practical guidelines to inform best practices for healthier learning environments.

Why Schools?

Focusing on youth and the spaces where they learn is vital to building resilience in current and future generations. Children are especially vulnerable to the long-term effects of indoor air pollutants because their bodies are still developing. According to the American Lung Association, children breathe 50% more air per half kilogram of body weight than adults, which makes them more susceptible to pollutants.

Prolonged exposure during childhood can lead to health problems later in life. Schools therefore have an ethical responsibility to provide a safe, healthy learning environment. Regularly monitoring and improving indoor air quality supports this duty and helps build long-term student wellbeing and resilience. Research from the Philips Foundation and the University of Manchester shows that reducing indoor air pollution by just 20% can improve working memory by 6%—equivalent to four extra weeks of learning per year.

Education and Impact

Schools play a key role in educating the next generation about environmental health. By testing indoor air quality and showcasing practical solutions, schools can teach students how to reduce pollution sources and adopt sustainable habits that improve the air we all share.

Our Studies

Corporate Study

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) plays a crucial role in workplace health, wellbeing, and productivity – yet it often goes unnoticed in daily operations.

Poor indoor air can cause headaches, fatigue, respiratory issues, and reduced concentration, affecting both employee performance and overall organisational efficiency.

Research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows that high pollutant levels inside buildings are directly linked to declines in cognitive function. In contrast, well-ventilated and cleaner workplaces can boost focus, decision-making, and overall productivity. The Take a Breath Corporate Study (2024–2025) aims to advance essential research on indoor air quality across UAE workplaces.

Its goal is to support the UAE National Air Quality Agenda 2031 by generating data-driven insights that shape healthier indoor environments and evidence-based workplace policies.

Participating organisations will contribute to a nationwide effort to better understand how indoor air quality impacts employee wellbeing and business outcomes.

Why Participate?

School Engagement

As part of the Take a Breath initiative, we offer a range of opportunities to educate students about the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) and how they can improve it in their schools, homes, and communities.

Interactive Awareness Sessions

Our awareness sessions engage students in discussions that highlight the impact of IAQ on their health and learning environments. These sessions inspire students to understand the importance of clean air indoors and motivate them to take action to improve it.

Gamified Workshops

Through engaging, hands-on workshops designed for entire year groups, students explore IAQ solutions in a fun and interactive way. These workshops empower students to take practical steps toward improving air quality in their schools, homes, and local communities.
By participating in these activities, students become advocates for cleaner, healthier air, spreading awareness and inspiring action to improve it. 

Did You Know?

Team Building: Creating Healthier Workspaces Together

As part of the Take a Breath initiative, we offer interactive corporate team-building experiences that raise awareness about indoor air quality and show teams how small actions can make a big difference.

These sessions centre around plants – nature’s own air purifiers – which are proven to capture indoor pollutants and reduce symptoms of sick building syndrome. Incorporating greenery helps create healthier, more productive workplaces.

During this hands-on activity, participants learn about the hidden challenges of indoor air pollution and build their own natural air purifiers in the form of terrariums. It’s a fun, creative way to combine learning with action while encouraging environmental responsibility.

Build One, Share One: For every terrarium made, a second is donated to local foundations and charities, giving the gift of cleaner air to those in need and extending the impact beyond the workplace.

This meaningful activity promotes environmental and health awareness while fostering teamwork and community impact. It’s an opportunity for employees to engage with a critical issue while contributing to their own well-being and the broader community.

Knowledge Partners​

take a breath, goumbook, social and environmental responsibility

Advisory Board

Deepthy K B
Regional Director, Market Development

GBCI Middle East

Dr Diana Francis
Assistant Professor, Earth Sciences

ENGEOS Labs, Khalifa University

Dima Al Srouri
Founder

Biospheric City Lab

Faizal Hasham
General Manager

AQM

Heba Safi
Technical Officer on Air Quality and Health, World Health Organization

Regional Centre for Environmental Health Activities, Amman, Jordan

Dr. Iyad Al-Attar
Visiting Academic Fellow

Cranfield University

Jie Zhao
WELL Faculty, Head of Delos Labs, Executive Vice President

Delos

Majd Fayyad
DSM Strategy & Policy Lead & Director & Board Member Advancing Net Zero Volunteering Team

Dubai Supreme Council of Energy

Mónica Ubalde López
Research Scientist at the Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health Program, Barcelona Institute for Global Health

ISGlobal

Oriol Teixido
WHO Advisor & Associate Director, Air Quality and Climate Change

Ricardo

Dr Srikanth Sola
CEO & Co-Founder


Devic Earth

Dr Safeena Kherani
Paediatric Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Consultant

Al Jalila Children's Hospital

Tatiana Antonelli Abella
Founder & Managing Director

Goumbook

For more information about Take a Breath

In the Press