Arabian horses’ charity auction raises $1 million

Guests were invited to take part in a live auction for 25 of the 100 hand-painted life-size equine sculptures that have adorned the streets and public spaces of Dubai since the start of the Dubai Shopping Festival 2005. An additional silent auction for 50 of the horses also took place. The remainder of the Arabian horses were ‘bought back’ by the organisations which initially sponsored them.

Christie’s of London, the world-renowned auction house which recently established a representative office in the UAE, oversaw the bidding at the Madinat Jumeirah’s Al Joharah ballroom.

“The auction was an unequivocal success and the amount raised is a testament to this city’s reputation for giving. The increased emphasis on corporate social responsibility here in Dubai led to marked rise in the number of bidders from the private sector who opened their wallets and their hearts for a good cause,” said Patricia Palmer, Director of ArtWorks and founder of the project.

Among the charities who will receive the proceeds from the sale of sculptures featured in Dubai’s Celebration Of The Arabian Horse are the Dubai Autism Centre; Dubai Centre for Special Needs; Dubai Community Theatre & Arts Centre; Emirates Children’s Symphony Orchestra; Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre, Al Noor Centre For Special Needs, Médecins Sans Frontières and the Riding for the Disabled Association of Dubai.

Prior to the auction, there was also a special charity cheque presentation ceremony where Tawhid Abdullah, Chairman of the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group, presented a cheque for Dh400,000 to the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment.