48 Dubai govt employees tie knot in mass wedding

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai Municipality on Tuesday night witnessed the ninth joint Mass Wedding celebrations of the employees of local departments in Dubai.
The ceremony titled "Dubai Wedding," was conducted at Dubai World Trade Center with the participation of 48 bridegrooms from Dubai Municipality, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD).
The Dubai Wedding, held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan, was also attended by Humaid Al Qutami, Director General of DHA, Dr. Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General of IACAD, and Dawood Al Hajiri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, as well as dignitaries and family members of the brides and bridegrooms.
The ceremony included a number of events which began with the arrival of the patron of the ceremony. One of the bridegrooms gave a speech in which he thanked Sheikh Hamdan for his patronage of the ceremony and for the generous donation that he bestowed on each employee who got married. A documentary film about the late Sheikh Zayed was shown during the occasion, in addition to staging a play and folkloric performances. Sheikh Hamdan honored the sponsors of the ceremony and the bridegrooms paused for a group photo with him, followed by the wedding dinner.
Al Hajiri said the mass wedding ceremony comes as part of the country's policy to create a happy and advanced society with high standards of living, well-being, solidarity and cooperation within the fabric of the community.
He said the Municipality has been involved with the employees of the local government departments for nine years in conducting the mass wedding, helping them to shoulder the burdens and requirements of establishing stable and happy families.
Al Hajiri said the event is part of implementing the noble initiatives of Sheikh Hamdan, in a bid to encourage young nationals to hold mass wedding parties away from wasteful and lavish aspects as His Highness has taken up the responsibility for the expenses of the mass wedding, organized by Dubai Municipality in cooperation with other departments, in order to provide a decent life for the youth of this country and alleviate their financial burden.
"On the occasion of the Year of Zayed, we do not forget the great role he played in supporting the idea of mass wedding between the young men and women of the country. He had encouraged the youth of the country to marry by organizing mass wedding ceremonies to reduce the expenses, especially in the beginning of their lives," he added.
Al Qutami said that the mass wedding is not just an annual tradition of celebrating the setting up of a new family, but rather it has a genuine social value that is characteristic of the UAE in general and Dubai in particular.
"The mass wedding is in line with the approach established by Sheikh Zayed and is an extension of the generous care enjoyed by the people of the UAE from His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It is also an affirmation of the directives of Their Highnesses on the rationalization of spending on wedding parties and avoiding the excessive burden of the bridegrooms in the prime of their life," he added.
Al Qutami said the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan, who is also Chairman of the DHA to the mass wedding, reflects his keenness to increase the happiness of the community members and it also enhances the comfort of living.
He also expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Hamdan for his continuous support for such important community events, which continue to have a positive impact on the life of the UAE family.
Al Shaibani said that over the years, the UAE leadership has been taking up distinguished community initiatives such as the Mass Wedding and these achievements empower and stabilize the people of the nation. 
He said IACAD values the role of Sheikh Hamdan in keeping alive this noble custom of conducting mass weddings, which expresses his parental care for the sons and daughters of the country and his generous contribution to enhance the potential of the youth in this way to achieve the setting up of socially empowered happy families.
"Dubai government departments, especially the Municipality and DHA are happy to celebrate this occasion with our sons and daughters and it is a true interpretation of standing united in fortifying the children of the UAE, sharing their happiness, and announcing it to the public to encourage other young people to take the initiative to implement these projects," Al Shaibani added.
He thanked Sheikh Hamdan and the partners in organizing the event as well as the participants in the celebration, praising the team spirit that characterized the organization of the ceremony and the sense of responsibility towards the members of the society and the responsibility of setting up the society.

Al Shaibani wished the young people well in their married life and hoped their positive role in building happy families will be beneficial to humanity and to the country.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com