Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative concludes the activities of the 8th edition of the “Designs of Hope” exhibition at Dubai Ladies Club
A distinguished partnership with Dubai Cares and platinum sponsorship from DEWA in organizing the exhibition
The proceeds from the exhibition will be donated to support the efforts to integrate climate change issues into educational curricula in cooperation with Dubai Cares
Naeema Ahli:
- Designs of Hope has become one of the distinguished annual activities in the field of charitable and humanitarian work
- Emirati women designers have contributed to achieving the humanitarian mission of the exhibition throughout its career, which was launched 10 years ago
Emirati designers:
- Our participation in the exhibition has become a Ramadan habit that we wait with anticipation to be part of its noble goals
- We are happy that our designs contribute to changing people’s lives for the better, and we will be part of the giving every year with creative and exclusive designs that suit the goals of Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative
Dubai, April 9, 2023: The activities of the 8th edition of the “Designs of Hope” charity exhibition organized by Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of Dubai Women Establishment, and President of the Dubai Ladies Club, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, concluded at Dubai Ladies Club.
The organization of the exhibition, in which DEWA participated as a platinum sponsor, coincided with the Year of Sustainability in the UAE. And this year aligns with the mark of a decade of continuous humanitarian and philanthropic activities by Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative which supports various charitable causes inside and outside the country, which included fields such as health, education, food and water.
The exhibition launched on April 5 and lasted for three days, in the presence of members of the Board of Directors of Dubai Women Establishment Khawla Rashid Al Mehairi, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Government Communications at DEWA, Mona Bousmara, Editor-in-Chief of Emirates Today newspaper, Fahima Abdul Razzaq Al Bastaki, CEO of Business and Product Development at the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, in addition to Naeema Ahli, Director of Corporate Support and Acting CEO of Dubai Women Establishment, Amal Al Redha, Director of Fundraising at Dubai Cares.
8 editions of the exhibition
Naeema Ahli, Director of Corporate Support and Acting CEO of Dubai Women Establishment, expressed her happiness with the success of this edition of the exhibition and the continuity of its charitable nature over 8 editions and its support for many philanthropic causes – which reflects the humanitarian vision of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and her impactful charitable and development initiatives, especially those related to supporting the educational empowerment of girls.
She added that the exhibition’s support this year for efforts to integrate the issue of climate change into the curricula and the educational system in cooperation with “Dubai Cares”, a part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global initiatives, stemming from the importance of educating students and youth on this global issue that requires concerted efforts of all countries of the world to reduce climate change.
She said that the “Designs of Hope” exhibition has become one of the distinguished annual events in the field of charitable and humanitarian work, praising the active role of the Emirati designers participating in the exhibition — achieving its humanitarian message, especially since theye were keen to be part of this charitable event throughout its career since its inception for the first time in 2013.
Charitable designers
Since its inception in 2013 until now, many Emirati designers have participated in the exhibition, who contributed to the continuity of its giving and support for many humanitarian, health and educational issues. More than 18 Emirati designers and fashion houses participated in this edition, including: NAFS, Fiz Boutique, 199x20s, Bloom Design, Selma Benomar, Moza Collection, I AM MAI Design, BLANC 8.3, Pearlato, Jamila Alkrieshi, Mayyar, By Amal and Zahra karmostaji, Harf W Nagsh, MAS, Sumaya Bakkar, Solla, VALORA.
Noble goals
The designers participating in the exhibition expressed their happiness at partaking in a valuable cause through the 8th edition of the exhibition. Selma Benomar, designer of the brand “Selma Benomar” praised Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative for their continuous humanitarian work, and she added, “our participation in the exhibition has become a Ramadan habit that we wait with anticipation to be part of its wonderful campaigns and noble goals, especially those that are a reason for empowering women at all levels. We, as women, must support each other in favor of development societies and their stability.”
As for Fatima Al Mansoori, the owner of 199x20s, said: “We were raised in the Emirates, the homeland of goodness, on the importance of generosity and giving, and my participation in exhibitions of a charitable and humanitarian nature, including the Design for Hope exhibition, is done with the aim of contributing to drawing a roadmap of hope for everyone in need.”
Wise Vision
The designer, Noura Abdullah Taher, indicated that the brand NAFS is a subsidiary of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Small Projects. And she is keen to have an active role in society, she said: “In line with the vision of our wise government in community participation, we participated as our annual habit in the holy month of Ramadan in Designs of Hope alongside others, where the proceeds go to Dubai Cares.” She stressed that social responsibility is part of the corporate values of the company since its inception.
The joy of giving
Esraa Al Mulla said that “Bloom Design” has been keen on their continuous participation in the Designs of Hope exhibition since 2016, she said “Every year I see excellence and creativity in a different, distinctive ways. The feeling of giving brings me great happiness. We design to change people’s lives with charitable work. I will be part of it.”
Designer Moza Al Suwaidi (Moza Collection) also expressed her happiness at participating in more than one copy of the exhibition and said, “This distinguished exhibition gives us a good opportunity to display our designs and creations, and at the same time gives us the opportunity to contribute to charitable work through our donations. Thank you to those in charge of the exhibition for this wonderful opportunity to be part of something valuable.”
Designer Jamila Juma Thani AlKrieshi (Jamila Alkrieshi) said that the exhibition’s contribution to raising awareness of the dangers of climate change is an important factor in dealing with its challenges at the local and global levels. She said: “This encouraged me to participate and be part of the wonderful charitable work in this holy month, and I hope to continue participating in the upcoming sessions of the exhibition.”
Fatima Ismail Al Zarouni (Fiz Boutique) expressed her happiness at participating in the exhibition and added: “I am honored to participate in this prestigious humanitarian initiative aimed at upholding the values of giving, unity and compassion.”
Panorama of Hope
Throughout its journey, the exhibition contributed to supporting many humanitarian causes through educational and health programs. The proceeds of its first edition in 2013 were allocated to the ‘Noor Al Hayat’ project to aid the prevention and treat patients suffering from sight ailments worldwide in cooperation with Noor Dubai Foundation. In 2014, it supported the ‘UAE Water Aid Initiative’ launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide 5 million people in developing countries with improved access to safe drinking water, hygiene and sanitation. In 2015, it contributed to the ‘The UAE Initiative for Connection with Orphans and Minors’, which targeted an important segment of the Emirati society. In 2017 and 2018, the exhibition also supported the “teacHER” campaign to increase children’s access to quality education, especially supporting girls’ education globally.
In 2019, Designs of Hope also supported “Bookings 2030” campaign launched by Dubai Cares to provide educational opportunities for children and youth in need and help them achieve their professional aspirations in the future. Last year, the exhibition supported the eye health care program implemented by the Noor Dubai Foundation in Katsina State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
