The Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation (KAHF) has sponsored a mass wedding ceremony under an initiative called ‘The Wedding of Giving’ in collaboration with Emarat Al Youm newspaper. The initiative, in conjunction with the ‘Year of Giving’, marks the second time that the KAHF has supported a mass ceremony.
The wedding ceremony, which took place at The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City, saw 50 low to middle-income couples get married on Tuesday 18 April 2017. The event was attended by high-profile Emiratis including His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ministers, directors of departments and state institutions in Dubai, senior figures at state-owned charity organizations as well as the families of the young couples getting married.
Guests were treated to performances by traditional bands
Khalaf Al Habtoor, Founding Chairman, Al Habtoor Group said, “We are pleased to organize the collective wedding ceremony for our sons and daughters, especially in the Year of Giving launched by His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Our contribution to the initiative is motivated by our sense of moral obligation and duty. The Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation supports many local initiatives. It is important that we uphold and promote the values of marriage, as well as our cultural values. This is important for the continuity of our country.”
The sponsors were honoured following the ceremony, including Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, who funded the event and gave AED 2,000,000 to the newlyweds. Others honoured were Loai Hamad, the manager of Lumiere Skin Clinic in Abu Dhabi, who provided the couples services amounting to AED 500,000; Mohammad Ghanem Al Qousayli Al Mansouri, General Manager of Al Khazna Tannery, who provided shoes; Majed Al Awadi, Manager of Dar Al Hay Fashion, who provided men’s Kandoura; and Ahmad Mohammad Abou Halika, CEO of Midraar, who gave a Bisht to each groom.
Sami El Ryami, Editor-in-chief of Emirates Al Youm said, “The initiative of the Wedding of Giving is a part of the initiatives launched by Emirates Al Youm in support of the Year of Giving. This is the first in a series of initiatives, some of which have already been announced while others will be revealed later on.”
El Ryami commended the KAHF for funding the mass wedding and organizing the ceremony, a proof of the humanitarian sense translated by the Foundation in the charitable fields. He called on all private institutions to contribute to the initiatives of the Year of Giving, given their importance in showing solidarity and synergy among all groups of society, and to implement the directives of the wise leadership in order to promote the charitable and humanitarian work.
El Ryami emphasized that Emirates Al Youm has adopted, since its inception, a humanitarian approach along with its professional work in the press, driven by its sense of duty towards the community and its corporate social responsibility. It devotes an ample space through the “hot line” to charitable, humanitarian and community activities and initiatives that are no less significant than its successes in the professional field, thanks to its closeness to the readers and its interest in the issues that are of importance to them.