Mass wedding application deadline set

Dubai: The organising committee has announced December 15 as final application deadline for the mass wedding event for people with special needs.

At a press conference in Dubai, the group revealed it has so far received 60 interested applicants and is still open for a quota of 100 UAE nationals, who will tie the knot in a traditional Emirati wedding.

The event, set to be the largest mass wedding for people with special needs, will take place in January 2009, to coincide with the third anniversary of the rule of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Equal rights

In its third year, the mass wedding for special needs people, which is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammad, aims to send a message that people with disabilities are an important part of society and have equal rights.

"Hopefully in future the mass wedding will not be directed only to people with special needs. It is important to us to fully integrate in the society and making it specific for people with special needs is not something we want," said Majid Al Asmi, Director of the executive office of the Dubai Sports Club for Special Needs, and member of the organising committee.

The mass wedding is being organised in coordination with private and public entities along with - for the first time - a federal and public organisation, the Ministry of Culture and Youth, which will be decorating the venue for the wedding.

Applicants for the mass wedding have to be employed UAE nationals and preferably be getting married to UAE national females, although it is not restricted and is also open to brides from GCC countries and Arab nationalities.

The mass wedding aims to send a message that people with disabilities are an important part of the society.