ERC Organises First Mass Wedding In Al Khokha, Yemen

The Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, on Monday, organised the seventh mass wedding for 200 couples in Yemen and the first in Al Khokha District of Yemen's Hodeidah Governorate, as part of the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to hold a series of group weddings to benefit 2,400 brides and grooms in eight Yemeni governorates.

HODEIDAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 02nd Oct, 2018) The Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, on Monday, organised the seventh mass wedding for 200 couples in Yemen and the first in Al Khokha District of Yemen's Hodeidah Governorate, as part of the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to hold a series of group weddings to benefit 2,400 brides and grooms in eight Yemeni governorates.

A number of local officials and ERC representatives and families of the brides and grooms attended the event.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the ERC, said that His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed's initiative is part of the UAE's efforts to fulfill Yemen's overall needs, and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

"This initiative reflects the determination of the UAE leadership to follow the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, and to support Yemeni people and meet their requirements," Sheikh Hamdan added.

The mass weddings also highlight the leadership's desire to maintain the social and psychological stability of the youth, so that they can contribute to their country's development and reconstruction, he further added.

Dr. Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, ERC Secretary-General, stated that the ERC is working according to a well-thought-out plan to implement His Highness Sheikh Mohamed's directives.

Al Falahi added that the dire economic conditions in Yemen are preventing its youth from getting married while the initiative is achieving a range of objectives, including reducing the cost of marriage and promoting social solidarity.

"The initiative highlights the UAE leadership's awareness of the humanitarian, social and economic conditions in Yemen, as well as its willingness to address the challenges faced by Yemeni youth, to realise their aspirations for a stable and decent social life," he stressed.

''So far we have held mass weddings for 1,400 couples out of the target of 2,400,'' he noted.

He also noted that mass weddings have already been organised in Hadramaut, Aden and Socotra while preparations are underway for similar ceremonies in Shabwa, Dhale, and Mocha.

"Despite the difficult conditions in Yemen, these mass weddings are reviving hope and bringing joy," he further added.

Dr. Hassan Taher, Governor of Hodeidah, expressed the gratitude of the government and people of Hadramaut to H.H. Sheikh Mohamed for his generous initiative, which reflects the deep and solid relations between the UAE and Yemen and helps to achieve social and psychological stability.

While thanking Sheikh Hamdan, he stressed that the ERC has set itself apart from other humanitarian organisations, by implementing programmes in the areas of development, construction, housing, education and health.

Local beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the UAE leadership for bringing back the smile on their faces through this landmark social initiative.