Environment & Energy | Friday 27 February, 2015 12:52 am |

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) hosted its 8th mass wedding, known as Anwar Dubai, for its staff. The ceremony was held under the patronage and in the presence of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of DEWA. The move is part of DEWA’s commitment to support its staff by giving them peace of mind and a good start in life. 37 couples were married in a joyous and happy atmosphere at Zabeel Park in Dubai. HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was received by DEWA’s Board members and HE Saeed Mohammed AL Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA.

The ceremony was also attended by HE Mattar Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman of DEWA, HE Saeed Al Kindi, HE Mohammed Khalifa Al Habtoor, Lt. General Mohammed Abdul Rahim Al Ali, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defence, HE Majid Hamad Al Shamsi, HE Hilal Khalfan Bin Dhaher, HE Qassim Sultan, HE Essa Al Maidoor, Director General of Dubai Health Authority, HE Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director of Emaar Properties, HE Ali bin Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of the Supervisory Bureau for Electricity & Water in Dubai, HE Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), Salem Almoosa, DEWA staff, and a large number of guests.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Al Tayer thanked HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum for attending the mass wedding.

“On behalf of DEWA’s Board members and staff, I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of DEWA for his care of Emirati young people to give them peace of mind and a good start in life. His annual patronage of DEWA’s mass wedding is another example of his support for Emirati families by relieving their burdens and achieving the aspirations of young couples for a good start in their new lives. This enhances solidarity and family cohesion, which helps to achieve the goals of the UAE Vision 2021, and the Dubai Plan 2021, which both put its people as the first priority,” said Al Tayer.

“Mass weddings have become a national tradition, with the numbers increasing each year. DEWA is following the same path. During the past eight years, a total of 323 couples tied the knot at DEWA’s mass weddings. Through this initiative, and as part of our corporate social responsibility, we underline our commitment to serving society, achieving its happiness, contributing to its progress and development, and providing our staff peace of mind and a good start in their married lives. That’s why, DEWA has been hosting the mass wedding for our staff for the 8th consecutive year with a generous gift from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of DEWA, who has blessed DEWA’s efforts with his presence and gifts. Our staff look forward to participating in the mass wedding, which we’ve named Anwar Dubai. Each year, our Emirati male and female staff participate in the mass wedding and start their new lives and form new Emirati families that look forward to a joyous and prosperous future. With all gratitude and appreciation, they thank His Highness for his patronage of the ceremony,” added Al Tayer.

“The gift is for 37 young Emirati couples to encourage them to get married, alleviate their financial burden and make their lives easier. This achieves their hopes and happiness, and their psychological, social and financial stability. This increases the number of participants in the mass wedding each year. Our warmest congratulations to the newlyweds. We hope that their dreams and hopes come true and live a happy and stable life,” concluded Al Tayer.

“DEWA is committed to its corporate social responsibility by launching initiatives that makes our staff happier and reflect positively on their jobs and their well-being. For 8 years, the mass wedding has helped our Emirati staff to get married. It has reinforced DEWA’s organisational approach to support Emirati youth, as well as promoting National Identity and increasing loyalty among employees,” said Khawla Al Mehairi, Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Communications at DEWA, and Chairperson of DEWA’s Women’s Committee.

On behalf of Al Tayer, Al Mehairi presented the new couples with gifts from the sponsors: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, Jadi Beauty Centre, Al-Wajaha Gents Tailoring, My 30 Minutes Personal Fitness Training, AttraFit, and A&A Makeup.
The mass wedding also featured a number of folklore and traditional activities and dances, including Al Ayalah, Harbiya, Al Razfa, and Al Liwa. Congratulatory poems for the newlyweds were also read out.