Dubai Customs and the General Directorate of Residency And Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA) announced they will organize a joint group wedding for 80 employees from both departments. The wedding will take place in May, in line with the nation’s policy to assist young UAE nationals in all areas of life.
The mass wedding for DC and GDRFA staff follows the steps of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and conforms with the directives of H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, and H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in regards to cutting unnecessary marriage expenses and curbing extravagancies and excessive wedding costs.
Commenting on the joint venture, Khalil Saqer, Director of Corporate Communication at Dubai Customs and Chairman of the Group Wedding Committee, said, “Dubai Customs has organised two wedding ceremonies for men employees and two for women employees in the past two years. The initiative was lauded by beneficiaries and many government departments were keen to join in. Dubai Customs invited other departments to be part of the event and hence enlarge the scope of participation. The move paid off last year by holding the first-of-its-kind women mass wedding for employees of various government departments, including Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department, DEWA, Dubai Municipality and RTA.”
The mass wedding, held for the third consecutive year, is hosted by DC with the support and guidance of H.E Ahmed Butti Ahmed, Executive Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, Director General of Dubai Customs. This year’s mass wedding will be organized for the first time as a joint venture with GDRFA. The event reflects Dubai Customs’ commitment to impart social values to better encourage and support family life and community relationships, Saqer said.
DC’s Communication Director affirmed that hosting a mass wedding jointly among government departments in Dubai promotes community partnership and ensures equal opportunities to young men and women wishing to get married.
Kholoud Al Mehairi, Chairperson of Hawa Committee at GDRFA, thanked Dubai Customs for having employees of GDRFA in this event. She remarked, “GDRFA highly commends DC’s praiseworthy initiative in putting forth clear methodologies and foundation for organising a mass wedding at highest standards of community spirit and patriotism”.