In support of the “Make a Wish” Charity Foundation

Alpha Events Co. in coordination with The Red Crescent hosted a charity dinner in support of the “Make a Wish” Charity Foundation at the ballroom of Al Murooj Rotana Hotel.

Today “Make a Wish” has established its' presence in 33 countries world wide, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The aim of the organization is to grant the one off ‘life’s dream wish’ to children with incurable diseases.

Alpha Events Co. themed the event: “Adults and children together, we can make this world a better place”. Indeed, it was the evening, when young talents and their parents & teachers joined together in order to place a smile on the faces of children with life threatening conditions.

In UAE, the organization works closely with the medical centre for children suffering from talessimia and all the proceeds from the evening will be donated to the cetre.

In this regard, Alpha Events would like to thank all sponsors and patrons alike for their generosity.

List of Sponsors

STORM Associates
Damani
La Coquette
Seewings International
EMDI
Powerhouse
Emirates NBD
Arabian Falcon Holiday
ABOP
Al Shaali & Co (Advocates & Legal Consultants)

List of Patrons

Mr. Mufid Abukishek
Mrs. Mohammed Al Habbai
Mr. Imad Qaddumi
Mrs. S. Qaddumi
Mr. Saeed Sadek
Ms. Safa Sadek
Mr. Abu Nabil
Mrs. Salwa Qaddimi
Miss Assia Djaammaeva
Mr. Antouan
Miss Elena Makacheva
Miss Madina Bachutseva
Mrs. Fatima Khinchagova
Mrs. Nazmiyat Gadjieva
Miss Beatha Wooding
Mr. Ghazi Gashut
Mr. Ablahat
Mrs. Mili Abdul Aziz
Miss Liz Kirwan
Ms. Sue Pengalli
Mr. Waqas E (Jav Int’l)
Mr. Bharat Harpalani
Mr. Graham
Mr. & Mrs. Elalachi
Mr. Ray
Mrs. Sofia
Mr. Greg Pogonowsli
Mr. & Mrs. Nowshir Engineer
Mrs. Bernadette
Mr. Don John
Mrs. Gergana Mineva

All parents of children from dance group “Bravo”

Alpha Events would also like to thank everybody, who made the evening possible and addresses it's special appreciations to Mr. Rashid Khamis & Mr. Mohammed from the Red Crescent Dubai, Miss Khadija Warsaw from “Make a Wish” in Dubai, Mrs. Anna Gorbachova and Mrs. Margarita Kuzmina of Dance Group “Bravo”, Mr. George Abi Habib, Miss. Marouchka, Mrs. Denise Armstrong, Miss Amira, Mr. Adnan Iziter, Miss Daria Fedoseeva, Mrs. Viktoria Belasho, Mr. Guzal’, Vycheslav Kolinko.

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Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment (MBRHE) plans new 2300 houses for nationals

To create more affordable housing projects for UAE Nationals, the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment (MBRHE) tied up on Wednesday with Arab Tech Construction in a Memorandum of Understanding aiming at constructing 2,300 houses to be located across Dubai. The construction of these projects, worth Dh 3 billion, are to take immediate effect with the release of the completed houses to be made in phases.

In a short ceremony held yesterday at the Grand Hyatt Dubai, Engineer Rashid Mohammed Al-Mutawwa, MBRHE Executive Director, and Riyad Kamal, CEO of Arab Tech Construction, signed an (MoU) in the presence of a number of official delegates from the two organizations.

The construction will start in four project areas located across Dubai. Over the next four years these projects will be released to the tenants and occupiers upon the completion of the projects. The first project consists of 252 houses in Barsha to be released in two phases; the first of which will see the release of 110 houses within the next 21 months and the second phase of the remaining 142 houses will take place three months later.

The second project for 504 houses in the al warqa 4 will be released in four phases; phase 1 will see 100 houses released within the next 21 months, phase 2 within 24 months consisting of a further 125 houses, phase 3 another 177 houses within 28 months, and in the last phase of the project the remaining 110 houses in 31 months time.

The third project consists of 325 houses in the Oud Matina district will be release in two phases; the first of which will release 125 in 25 months and the remaining houses in the second phase in 29 months.

The last and largest project in the Barsha will consist of 1,209 houses release in six phases; Phase 1 will release 180 houses within 27 months, Phase 2 another 158 houses in 30 month, Phase 3 an additional 186 houses within 33 months, Phase 4 will release 253 houses within 36 months, Phase 5 a further 186 within 39 months and lastly the remaining 246 houses within 42 months.

Engineer Al Mutawwa said: "His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai aims to provide UAE Nationals with affordable and luxurious housing. His Highness has instructed that the development of these projects to be constructed with great urgency as well as emphasizing that more housing projects are required to meet the demands of the UAE Nationals. For this reason, MBRHE has implemented these directions with great urgency and with top priority in order to fulfill the visions and wishes of His Highness."

The value of each house varies from 1.7 to 2 million dirhams depending on the total square footage and location of the property. The average plot of land is 9,000 square meters. Source

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Mohammed bin Rashid sets up Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation

Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in his capacity as Ruler of Dubai, has issued a decree establishing the Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Foundation which was announced and launched in May, 2007 with an endowment of AED37 billion (USD10 billion).

According to the decree, the Foundation shall be managed by a 5-member board of directors, a chairman and a deputy chairman. A decree by the Ruler of Dubai shall appoint a 5-mambers of the board of directors, a chairman and a deputy-chairman for 3 years.

Sheikh Mohammed's recent decree authorizes the foundation's chairman of the board of directors to appoint the director of the executive body in an administrative decree. The director shall be authorized to appoint the body's staff members as per the effective relevant regulations.

As per the new decree, the Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation shall be financed by Sheikh Mohammed's endowment of AED 37 billions (USD10 billions) which was announced in May 2007 as well as benefits generated by investment of the endowment, grants and donations.

Sheikh Mohammed, announced the major initiative in a keynote speech at the World Economic Forum for the Middle East held in May 2007 at the Dead Sea, Jordan.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation aims to develop future leaders and create a knowledge-based society in the region through four key components of knowledge and education, culture, entrepreneurship and philanthropy. The Foundation has already launched several programmes to encourage Arab intellectual output and motivating aspiring young Arab writers.

The Foundation also aims to open doors for future generations of leaders of the region to shape their future by equipping them with world-class knowledge and education.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation will source and manage a wide range of initiatives including the establishment of high-quality research programmes and research centres and the provision of scholarships to students to attend leading universities and institutes. It will also support research in universities across the region. In addition, the Foundation will provide leadership programmes for youth in government, the private sector and in non-governmental organizations. Scholarships and research grants will also be given to authors and researchers in the region. WAM

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DP World offers AED 60,000 DAC

Global marine terminal operator, DP World on Sunday donated AED60,000 (EUR 11,000) to the Dubai Autism Centre to help children with autism to be successfully integrated into the local community.
The donation is part of DP World's ongoing commitment to support the communities around its 43 terminals across the globe.

The company began its global "Community Services" initiative last year, together with a number of its key suppliers and contractors, which aims to benefit those living around DP World's global operations. This donation is being made in conjunction with Damen, one of DP World?s key shipbuilding and marine services suppliers, a company press release said today.

Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director - UAE Region, DP World, said: "We are delighted to be supporting this important local charity and continuing our commitment to the local community in Dubai. The "Community Services" initiative helps us to build strong ties with the communities where we operate and also strengthens our partnerships with contractors and suppliers like Damen." On receiving the donation Mohammad Al Emadi, Director General of Dubai Autism Centre said: "Centres like the Dubai Autism Centre rely on donations and the continued support of corporations like DP World to continue their work in the local community. This generous donation from DP World and Damen allows us to provide important services to those families and children affected by Autism? Kommer Damen, Chairman of Damen added: ?We are pleased to see the Dubai Autism Centre benefit as a direct result of Damen?s working relationship with DP World. We are proud our donation can help the centre continue its invaluable work.? Founded in 2001, Dubai Autism Centre is the largest, most innovative and comprehensive nonprofit organization in the United Arab Emirates serving children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Centre?s mission is to successfully integrate children with Autism into the community through a holistic approach to intervention and therapies, together with a focused effort to create social awareness about Autism. (WAM)

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"Generous Hands" initiative in first of its kind in the world

A number of senior UAE officials have lauded the "Generous Hands" initiative, launched here recently under the auspices of Her Highness Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak.
Deputy prime minister and chairman of the UAE Red Crescent Authority, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will shoulder the cost of implementing the initiative, which aims at alleviating the sufferings of sick and poor people worldwide.

The initiative, a first of its kind in the world, will offer worldwide a special medical treatment programme for the sick, who can not afford to pay for their medical treatment.

The "Generous Hands" initiative is the third social development programme to be launched under the directives of the late UAE founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with the aim of boosting humanitarian and voluntary works in the Arab and Islamic nations.

A number of officials have said that the initiative reflects the deep commitment of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the follow-up of UAE vice president and prime minister and ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and in implementation of the vision of Abu Dhabi crown prince and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, adding that it aims at boosting voluntary and humanitarian works in social services and development to help alleviate the sufferings of the sick worldwide, who can not afford to pay for medical treatment.

They expressed their strong determination to contribute proactively toward this cause and the success of the programme.

Commenting on the initiative, the minister of health, Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qattami, said the "Generous Hands" initiative will, to a great extent, help alleviate the sufferings of the sick, worldwide, particularly those from the poor and deprived segment of the society, adding that the initiative, which is being launched under the auspices of Her Highness Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairperson of the UAE General Women's Union, came to crown the noble objectives which Shaikha Fatima has always been working hard to achieve both locally and internationally.

He pointed out that for Deputy prime minister and chairman of the UAE Red Crescent Authority, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to shoulder the cost of this programme reflects his deep commitment to reaching out to the sick and poor worldwide. It also reflects his deep belief in humanitarian and voluntary work.

Dubai Police Chief, Lt. General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, said it is no new news to see the UAE launch such a humanitarian initiative under the auspices of Her Highness Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, who he described as very generous. He also praised Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan for sponsoring the programme.

He noted that Sheikh Hamdan is always concerned about how best to reach out to the poor and the needy worldwide. He said Sheikh Hamdan has been directing his outfit, the UAE Red Crescent Authority, to implement humanitarian and charity programmes in various parts of the world, with great emphasis on the sick and poor, adding that the new initiative is a continuation of the generous and humanitarian policy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, which is being pursued by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

"The initiative has really made me happy. I really feel great when I heard about it," he said. "In fact, we are really proud of belonging to the United Arab Emirates, which is popular for its numerous humanitarian initiatives aimed at alleviating the sufferings of the sick and poor. We pray to Allah to greatly reward the Mother of the Nation and Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan," he added.

The chairman of the Abu Dhabi Health Authority, Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazroue, who expressed his outfit's full support for the new initiative, said they are fully ready to respond positively to any request the programme demand from him and his outfit. He added that the Abu Dhabi Health Authority (ADHA) has competent medical doctors in all areas of specialisation and they will be honoured to proactively participate in the successful implementation of the programme. (WAM)

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From charity to change

The seeds of change can be sown in charitable works. As the remarkable success of the Dubai Cares campaign showed, when a visionary leader with a heart of gold takes the helm, fighting social ills can never be a daunting task, a UAE paper commented on Tuesday.

''At a time when the UN is struggling hard to achieve its Millennium Development Target of attaining universal primary education by 2015, the charity drive carried out under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has been able to raise a whopping Dh 3.4 billion to help educate one million children in various parts of the world. The leader whose generosity knows no bounds has therefore set an example for others to follow, wrote the Khaleej Times.

The Dubai-based paper said :'' Giving a further boost to charity drives in the region, Shaikh Mohammed launched the Arab Foundation for Social Charity during the conference on regional consultations on Arab philanthropy.

''The foundation will primarily help to unify various charitable ventures in the region or ensure better coordination among charity organisations in the Arab world for, as the Ruler himself put it, "enabling the region to overcome the challenges it is facing".

''As it was pointed out at the conference, there is a need to organise various charitable efforts and work collectively so that people can serve the poor and the underprivileged in a more effective manner. A greater cooperation between the public and private sectors in the field of charity can certainly foster social development.

''It is a fact that over the past few years, there has been an exponential growth in the number of charity organisations including endowments and funds in the Arab world. According to analysts, with a significant rise in corporate social responsibility programmes, the field of charity in the region, particularly in the UAE, has been of late witnessing a shift from "traditional giving" to "strategic philanthropy".

''In other words, the focus is now more on what can be regarded as institutionalising philanthropy that demands the creation of professionally managed foundations to take care of charity drives. And the UAE, which has a rich tradition and culture of giving and caring, is evidently at the forefront of this change in the pattern of philanthropy in the Arab world.

''The Arab Foundation for Social Charity is therefore set to play a vital role in shaping charity initiatives. According to Shaikh Mohammed, the mere availability of funds is not enough - for charitable works to succeed, high-calibre administrative expertise and an unwavering determination to carry out the projects are strongly needed.

''The two-day conference was organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, which is recognised as a major initiative in the region dedicated to promoting human development and providing hope and opportunity by investing substantially in education and knowledge development,''. (WAM)

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Sheikh Mohammed Launches Arab Centre for Philanthropy

Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Sunday announced the launch of "Arab Centre for Philanthropy", seeking to mobilize strategic giving and promoting coordination among various Arab philanthropic programmes.
The announcement came during Sheikh Mohammed's meeting with prominent leaders of philanthropy from the Arab world. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the regional consultation on the future of philanthropy in the region.

The two day conference, which opened today in Dubai, is being organized by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.

The "Arab Centre for Philanthropy" is set to play a major role in leveraging the level of cooperation between Arab philanthropists in order to enhance their contribution while working to overcome regional challenges.

Announcing the launch of the initiative, Sheikh Mohammed stressed on the importance of collective giving, irrespective of whether it stemmed from individuals or organizations.

He underlined the weakness of philanthropy in the Arab world, hinting that the aspersion cast on a few philanthropic organizations has marred the credibility of the entire industry. Apart from dissuading several people from dealing with them, such inadequately structured organizations have also forced genuine philanthropic organizations to rely more on the personal wealth of their founders or sponsors.

Sheikh Mohammed reiterated that achievements in the philanthropic field could never be achieved by the availability of finances alone. He stated that success is a result of a combination of factors including creativity of individuals, organizational support, availability of funds, and the importance of volunteering and knowledge sharing.

Stressing on the immense challenges faced by the Arab world, he said that failure in facing these challenges is not an option. He placed considerable onus on wealthy Arabs to help drive the region in resolving these challenges.

The "Arab Centre for Philanthropy'' will work towards achieving a number of important objectives that include encouraging and honouring leaders of social philanthropy; building the capacity of philanthropic organizations and their staff while nurturing their transparency; promoting philanthropy among wealthy Arabs, and ensuring coordination between them to solicit financial support.

The centre will also be mandated to spread the culture of volunteerism and muster the commitment of the youth towards their communities. Additionally, it will seek to sponsor scientific research related to philanthropy in the Arab World.

The new centre will launch a number of strategic programmes that include providing scholarships for social leaders, issuing a guide and directory of Arab philanthropic programmes as well organising philanthropy workshops to develop the skills of strategic planning among the staff of philanthropic organizations. The "Arab Centre for Philanthropy" will also focus on developing young philanthropic leaderships and providing them with necessary skills to run philanthropic organizations.

Participating Arab philanthropists at the regional consultation praised the vision of Sheikh Mohammed, and said the concept of an ''Arab Centre for Philanthropy'' reflects his commitment to address pressing regional challenges. (WAM)

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Gulf Charity conference in Dubai

The Gulf Charitable Activities Conference organized by Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities DIACA was opened on Sunday under the theme " Charitable Work : Pioneering and Development ".

The 3-day conference, which is organized by the, is attended by a number of charity organizations in the UAE and GCC countries.

In his key note address, on behalf of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and minister of finance, Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, chairman of lands and properties in Dubai, said " Dubai has always been supporting the needy people and the have-nots within the country and throughout the world " , pointing out the charitable works and projects conducted by the charitable foundations such as Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation , Al Maktoum Charitable Authority, Dubai charitable Society and Dar Al Birr.

He also pointed out the important roles that those charitable organizations played in supporting people affected by earth quakes, floods , wars and other catastrophes, and how they built schools, mosques, hospitals ....etc at different parts of the world.

Dr Hamad Al Shaibani, director-general of Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities DIACA said " the conference aims to show the civilized and humanitarian side of the charitable societies in the Arabian Gulf and their active participation in the social development, identifying the urgent needs of permanently stricken areas worldwide to strive to meet those demands and searching for a permanent working partnerships between diverse agencies working in the field of relief and charity".(WAM)

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Ready-made houses for low-income nationals

Upon the directive of Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ready-made houses will be delivered at Oud Al Mutainah area to 1000 low-income UAE citizens, widows , and divorced women from applicants registered with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.

Sheikh Mohammed has also approved the young people housing project at Al Barshaa area, which includes 1500 villas with a total cost of AED 2.7 billion to be completed within 39 months.

He also directed concerned authorities to allocate 1500 plots for housing to nationals who have the financial ability to build.

Sources from the Foundation said that the total cost of the housing program of Sheikh Mohammed is estimated at AED 9 billion.

Sheikh Mohammed toured the areas which accommodate the said projects, met with the people there, spoke and listened to them.

He assured them of providing houses that meet all sanitary requirements. (WAM)

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Charity donations soar during Eid

A number of charity organisations have extended a generous hand to the less fortunate during the Eid festivities, with some donations exceeding Dh7 million, organisers said.
A Red Crescent officer said donations had covered costs of sponsoring orphans in the UAE and abroad.

This year Dh6 million was spent on distributing meat from sacrificial animals to the poor.
"The Red Crescent also collected donations of new and used clothes for distribution to children in war-torn countries," said Abdullah Al Rahman Al Danji, the charity's media relations manager.

The clothes will be distributed to 30,000 local orphans and 40,000 children abroad. "It costs just Dh200 to sponsor an orphan in the UAE and Dh100 abroad," he said.

Another initiative is the distribution of food packages to Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.
The Red Crescent has also prioritised sponsorship of Iraqi orphans and donations were high this year, said Rashid Al Mansouri, head of the Red Crescent delegation to Iraq. It has benefited 6,084 orphans, he said.

Meanwhile, the Dubai Charity Association will distribute sacrificial meat worth Dh1.3million locally and to other Muslim countries.

Clothes donations reached around Dh880,000, with around 6,000 families benefiting, said Ahmad Musmar, General Secretary of the Association.

Other charity organisations based in Dubai, such as the Children's Hope Foundation, donated food parcels to Bangladesh and raised funds for local special needs centres, medical centres and schools. Source

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UAE local and expatriate communities are overwhelmingly contributing to the humanitarian campaign jointly launched by the UAE Red Crescent (UAERC) and BinSina Pharmacy.

The campaign aims at providing safe water supply to needy populations in the third world through donating LifeStraw, an effective mobile water purification tool.

Mohammed Abdullah Alhaj Al Zarooni, Manager, Dubai branch of the UAE Red Crescent said: "This campaign is in line with UAE's humanitarian drive under the wise leadership of President His Higness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
''Access to safe drinking water is crucial to the livelihood of millions of people living in the third world. This campaign introduces a user friendly and low-cost tool that is appropriate for the vulnerable populations who need safe water around the world, he added.
''The UAERC is promoting volunteering as a key humanitarian principle and our campaign with BinSina Pharmacy clearly reflects the Red Crescent fundamental principles of protecting the life and health of people and alleviating their suffering, he explained.

More than one billion people around the globe are without access to safe water supply. At any given moment, about half of the world's poor are suffering from waterborne diseases, of which over 6,000 - mainly children - die each day by consuming unsafe drinking water.
Ayman Hanbali of BinSina Pharmacy said: "Pure water is the basis for life as it is the essential requirement for the healthy survival of each human being and for the development of societies as a whole. Unsafe water kills millions of people every year. This campaign provides a comprehensive, integrated and coordinated vision and strategy to provide much greater access to clean water in poor countries.
''LifeStraw will save lives by providing a simple way to purify drinking water.
This non-profit campaign will sell LifeStraw, at cost, to our customers to be given after that to UAERC, which will manage the distribution. The pharmacy aims at leveraging this partnership with UAERC to fulfill a broader social need,''he added.

BinSina and UAERC are providing a robust yet simple water filtration system that has enormous benefits for people worldwide who live without safe drinking water. The campaign consists of LifeStraw donation to help deprived and poor communities have pure and safe drinking water.

The donation boxes are available in all BinSina pharmacies and the collected donations will be handed over to UAERC to be granted to needy people.

Recognizing the importance of safe water in our daily lives and the billions of people who are still without access to these basic human rights, LifeStraw was developed as a practical response to the urgency that bad water can sicken people with parasites, cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery and it can slow the physical and mental development of children.
The deaths and health related problems caused by lack of clean water are at the level of a health epidemic.

"As many people around the world look to secure sources of pure drinking water, nationals and residents in the UAE are funding a significant programme that involves simple technologies aimed at providing clean water for a massive number of people,''he said.
''We truly appreciate BinSina's campaign which is driven by a social mission rather than profits. This campaign comes as a humanitarian relief to a global menace and raises the public profile of water treatment as a priority in vulnerable populations," Al Zarooni added.
Hanbali added: "Sanitation in developed countries has led to a dramatic decrease of death rates. People at developing countries are not very well aware of the importance of clean water and of the positive impact of hygiene and sanitation on their health. This campaign will better provide safe water to countries that face serious health threats because of populated water." The new straw that purifies water is an important part to confront water-borne diseases that are killing people in developing countries. The LifeStraw includes a disinfectant filter which kills bacteria, and active carbon which removes parasites and gives the water a better taste.

Created by Danish innovator Torben Vestergaard Frandsen, the straw is made of plastic and resembles a flute. Inside are filters and a chamber impregnated with iodine. LifeStraw was developed as a practical response to the billions of people who are still without access to safe water. It can be worn around the neck and requires no electrical power or spare parts and it filters up to 700 liters of water.

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Dubai auction raises three million dollars for AIDS

A classic car belonging to Hollywood star Sharon Stone helped to raise three million dollars for an AIDS charity in an auction during Dubai's Fourth International Film Festival, a statement from the charity said on Tuesday.

The star-studded event late on Monday at a luxury desert resort saw Stone's 1961 Lincoln Continental sell to an unidentified buyer for 400,000 dollars, said the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) for which the actress is global fundraising chairman.
Hollywood actors Michelle Yeoh and Hayden Christensen were also on hand to see another mystery bidder pay 600,000 dollars for an art installation by American artist Robert Rauschenberg.
The annual Film Festival is currently showcasing 141 films from 52 countries. (AFP)

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Dubai Government and Corporations give US$10 million to fight hunger

The United Nations World Food Programme today welcomed a generous US$10 million donation from the Government of Dubai and three leading UAE corporations.
In a letter sent to WFP by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, HH voiced hope that this contribution would be a “milestone in our relationship and signal a new, strengthened partnership to benefit those who suffer from poverty and to meet the needs of the hungriest people.”

The Government of Dubai is providing US$5 million to assist WFP’s worldwide Depots for humanitarian supplies. The Emirate has been very supportive of international humanitarian efforts and has served as a logistical hub for many big humanitarian operations over the past few years.
WFP has a support office in Dubai, which has evolved into one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergency support and fast intervention bases, aiming at providing aid fast, safe and cost-effective. WFP and other humanitarian agencies makes full use of the central geographical location of Dubai, the country’s expanding suppliers’ base, as well as the wide range of competitive air and sea freight services. WFP and other humanitarian agencies are based in Dubai’s International Humanitarian City.
Dubai will also host one of five international humanitarian depots that are planned by WFP to cope with the magnitude and growing number of emergencies in recent years.
“We are very thankful for the generous donations from the Government of Dubai,” said WFP Executive Director James Morris, who is in the UAE today to meet with senior officials. “This donation will give an enormous boost to our ability to deliver urgent help to thousands of desperate people affected by crises -- quickly and effectively.”
Three Dubai-based corporations are also donating another US$5 million to support WFP logistics capacity to cope with humanitarian emergencies. The three Dubai corporations are Dubai Holding (US$2 million), Nakheel (US$2 million), and Emaar Properties (US$1 million).
In letters sent to WFP, the three giant corporations noted WFP’s “outstanding” logistical achievements in response to the South-East Asian earthquake and the conflict in Lebanon.
WFP is the UN frontline agency fighting hunger. It also provides logistics support to all other humanitarian agencies in major emergencies such as the recent conflict in Lebanon this year and the devastating earthquake in Kashmir last year.
Prompted by the magnitude and growing number of emergencies in recent years, WFP has launched a new humanitarian response “Network”, with strategic hubs in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. The Network is designed to meet the escalating challenges of sudden humanitarian emergencies which can sometimes strike almost simultaneously.
One of the Depots will be based in Dubai, where WFP already has a fast intervention team for information technology and telecommunications to support aid agencies in emergencies.
“This strong commitment by the private sector in Dubai to the critical global social issue of fighting hunger is very welcome and sets an example for other corporations within and outside the Middle East to follow,” said Morris.
WFP fully depends on voluntary donations, mainly by governments, but is aspiring to have more support from the private sector worldwide. This year so far, WFP has raised over US$2.4 billion including nearly US$40 million from private donors. Source

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UAE launches food donation drive

A Food donation drive will be launched on 7 November by the UAE Ministry of Health in observance of World Food Day 2007 which was organized by The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO- under the theme "The Right to Food".
Donated conservable and canned foods received at hospitals, health centers and some shopping malls across the United Arab Emirates between 7 and 29 November will be delivered to the UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) in support of relief operations worldwide.

The Ministry will also hold a food safety workshop on 6 November at Morooj Rotana Hotel Dubai where experts will lecture on the best ways to process various kinds of food.
The UAE has joined more than 150 countries around the world to observe the event which is celebrated each year by FAO on 16 November, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945.
FAO said this year's edition of the event highlighted a basic human right that is often ignored as severe food insecurity continues to afflict more than 850 million people.
According to international law, the right to food is the right of every person to have regular access to sufficient, nutritionally adequate and culturally acceptable food for an active, healthy life. It is the right to feed oneself in dignity, rather than the right to be fed.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 first recognized the right to food as a human right. It was then incorporated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 11) adopted in 1966 and ratified by 156 states, which are today legally bound by its provisions. Source

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