DUBAI: The Joint Mass Wedding Committee of Ports Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) and General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai have held their first preparatory meeting to discuss arrangements for the upcoming 8th Mass Wedding.
The meeting, which was held at the General Directorate, discussed ideas and future plans of how best to organise the upcoming event.
The Mass Weddings are funded through a marriage fund established for UAE nationals, under a 1992 directive. The Marriage Fund helps Emirati men and women marry by granting applicants an amount of Dh70,000 in two installments. The bride and groom have to meet certain criteria including age (21 for the groom, and 18 for the bride) and income brackets (not more than Dh25,000 each after deductions) to be eligible for the grant. Marriage counselling sessions are also part of the events organised in association with the weddings.
Khalil Saqer bin Gharib, Director of Corporate Communication Department, said, "We help build stronger and more stable UAE families by supporting young people who plan to get married. We helped 700 male and female employees tie the knot and make stable families during the last seven years following the wise vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai."
