The Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation for Charity is sponsoring a group wedding on 18th April for 50 Emirati grooms, in co-operation with Al Emarat Al Youm newspaper.

The foundation will handle the funding of the wedding, as part of the "Wedding of Giving" initiative that supports the announcement of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for 2017 to be the Year of Giving, and a translation of the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Founder of the Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation, said that the foundation gives special attention to such initiatives that aim to help the youth start their married lives.

Al Habtoor pointed out that the seeds of giving in the UAE were planted by its founders Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

It has been decided that the group wedding will take place at the Westin Dubai Al Habtoor City Hotel on Tuesday, 18th April, while the foundation will offer AED40,000 to each groom and bride, he revealed.

Abdulsalam Al Marzouki, Director-General of the Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation, said the goal of organising the group wedding was to promote the spirit of partnership in the community and contribute towards reducing the wedding expenses so that those wishing to get married would not have to wait until they had the required money.

He stressed that group weddings had proved to be a success in the UAE earlier, thanks to the solidarity of the community. It is important to maintain the cultural values and respect the heritage of the country, he added.