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US actress Eva Longoria arrives for the Global Gift Gala evening at a central London hotel on the Strand, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP) Image Credit: Joel Ryan/Invision/AP

Eva Longoria returns to Dubai on December 14, with the aim of raising millions for charity — and having a bit of a party.

The US actress — who rose to fame with the hit TV series Desperate Housewives — will attend Dubai’s first Global Gift Gala benefit, where she will help raise funds for women’s and children’s charities and honour her fellow Latin star Ricky Martin.

At the event, taking place at supperclub at Jumeriah Zabeel Saray on the Palm, Longoria — known as much for her political work with Barack Obama and her philanthropy as for her acting work — will present Martin with the ‘Global Gift Humanitarian’ award for his work with children’s charities.

The Dubai leg of the Global Gift Gala follows a London gala earlier this month, where Longoria and her BFF Victoria Beckham raised funds for the Global Gift Foundation, a charitable company that organises events around the world to benefit a variety of charities.

In Dubai, the Gala has partnered with Noor Dubai Foundation, the beneficiary of the evening, providing eyesight care to vulnerable groups in Dubai. The gala will also benefit the Eva Longoria Foundation and Sunrise K Foundation, which care for women and children in need.

“The Global Gift Foundation is really growing and so I’m delighted to be presenting the first Global Gift Gala here in Dubai, especially at the fantastic supperclub Dubai. We have had phenomenal success with our galas around the world and really hope to build on this with the support and generosity from everyone here, all of whom have been so welcoming,” said Longoria in a statement. The actress visited Dubai in 2011 to open the Bloomingdale’s department store.

Tickets to the Dubai gala — which will also feature a performance by American singer-songwriter Maxwell and Dubai-based teenage singer Katie Kittermaster — start at €300 (Dh1,500). Organisers promise more celebrities will be announced over the coming weeks.

Tickets are available by writing to globalgiftgala@kaskadamanagement.com