Pakistan Association opens auditorium in Oud Metha

Dubai - The financial crisis put a hold on the project, and it was only last year that the project moved forward with the aid of contributions from members of Dubai's Pakistani community.

The Pakistan Association Dubai (Pad) unveiled its lavish new Pakistan Auditorium to a crowd of prominent community members and Pakistani diplomatic staff at a ceremony in Oud Metha on Saturday. The idea to build the 650-seat facility - which costs a total of Dh7.5 million to build - was conceived in 1991, with construction starting in 2009.
The financial crisis put a hold on the project, and it was only last year that the project moved forward with the aid of contributions from members of Dubai's Pakistani community.
Speaking at Saturday's event, Pad Secretary-General Dr Faisal Ikram explained that the auditorium has been designed to serve as a multi-purpose facility for members of the community.
"The association has diverse activities, and this multi-purpose hall hopefully will cater for most of our community needs," he said. "Weddings, seminars, conferences, indoor games, symposia activities, art exhibitions, you name it...hopefully, this auditorium will provide a social hub for the community and bring them together."
Ikram said that the auditorium is just part of the association's ambitious plans for the future, which will include a theme restaurant, a children's play area, indoor sports facilities and even a medical centre.
"The medical centre is a first-of-its kind facility and very unique project by any community in the UAE, which will provide not-for-profit services to the underprivileged," he said. "We are almost close to the final approvals from the authorities concerned."
Among the notable guests at the event was Arif Naqvi, founder and CEO of the Abraaj Group, as well as Pakistan's Ambassador to the UAE, Asif Durrani. In his remarks, Durrani said that the auditorium was the result of the hard work of Pakistani expats in the UAE.
"I have been witnessing the progress of this auditorium, and have been listening to different opinions about it. Sometimes quite disappointing and sometimes quite encouraging," he said. "But these efforts never go away, especially when there are so many hands, so many of our people who have been wholeheartedly working for this noble cause."
"Today you can witness that such a beautiful auditorium.has added not only to the beauty of this association, but also has given a new incentive to our people to avail these facilities, and that they can also come together more often and in a much better environment," he added.
bernd@khaleejtimes.com

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