SUPPLIED

On Wednesday, 100 Emirati grooms attended a mass wedding ceremony in Dubai. Brides have their own ceremony, which draws large audiences and can take up to four hours. The men's wedding is a much simpler occasion. Grooms may choose not to have a ceremony at all. Al Habtoor Group organized the mass wedding with the Ministry of Community Development. It was held in the presence of Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed, head of the Dubai Border Security Council. The special event, held at the V Hotel in Dubai, aimed at lowering Emirati wedding costs by eliminating extravagant ceremonies. The celebrations included festivities such as dancing and Emirati folk songs. Al Habtoor Group chairman Khalaf Al Habtoor said he was delighted to host the wedding to inspire other Emiratis to start families. "I supported the initiative to help our young Emiratis to establish their families and to have the next generation of Emiratis for our homeland. Families are the pillar to our blessed country," Al Habtoor remarked. Al Habtoor advised the newlyweds to respect one another. He also offered an extra incentive. "From my side there will be prize money for the groom who has the most children," Al Habtoor informed the couples without stating how much. The Ministry of Community Development inked a deal with the Al Habtoor business earlier this year to support Emiratis with a series of mass weddings. According to the ministry, during the previous 25 years, about 200 mass weddings have been held in UAE for over 10,000 grooms. The Ministry of Community Development wants to organize more mass weddings around the UAE to uphold the family values established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE's Founding Father. Emiratis can apply to participate in mass weddings through the ministry website. BKM/ Expat Media
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