ERC holds group wedding of 200 couples in Mukalla

Al Mukalla - ERC said the Mukalla ceremony was the sixth mass wedding organised across Yemen.

The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) organissed the second group wedding for 200 couples in Al Mukalla, Hadramaut governorate, on Friday, 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 weddings to benefit 2,400 brides and grooms in eight Yemeni governorates.
The ERC said the Mukalla ceremony was the sixth mass wedding organised across Yemen.
Major General Faraj Salmeen Al Bahsani, Governor of Hadramaut, and an ERC delegation attended the event.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the ERC, said that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed's initiative is part of the UAE's efforts to provide for 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 type of initiative reflects the determination of the UAE leadership to follow the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, and to support the 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 they can contribute to their country's development and reconstruction, he further added. Dr. Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, ERC Secretary-General, said that the Emirati agency 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.
"Despite the difficult conditions in Yemen, these mass weddings are reviving hope and bringing joy," he added.
Major-General Al Bahsani expressed the gratitude of the government and people of Hadramaut to 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 the ERC has set itself apart from other humanitarian organisations, by implementing programmes in the areas of development, construction, housing, education and health.
Brides and grooms expressed their gratitude to the UAE leadership for bringing back the smile on their faces, through its landmark social initiative.

• MENA