Dubai: A racing helmet worn by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during his victory at the FEI World Endurance Championship in 2012, sold for a record Dh24.05 million in an unprecedented charity auction at Al Jalila Foundation fundraising gala dinner.
The auction, which raised Dh89.8 million, included an Al Yamamah saddle donated by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, on which he rode to victory at the 2014 Altech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France. The saddle sold for Dh2.40 million.
.@HHShkMohd participates in @AJCCCUAE auction by contributing his helmet from FEI CEI Endurance Championship Race pic.twitter.com/okkakDEnac— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) November 24, 2015
The second-highest sale was a Dubai vehicle number plate (code O number 9) belonging to Shaikh Zayed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which fetched Dh23.90 million. It is the first time a single digit Dubai plate has been auctioned.
Other items auctioned included an Arabian horse, a luxury holiday experience, a 300-year-old Quran, a sculpture by a famous Emirati artist, antique pistol statue, limited edition timepieces and etisalat distinguished telephone numbers.
The gala dinner organised under the theme ‘Research for life’, was attended by over 350 guests, including Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of Shaikh Mohammad; Dr Raja Al Gurg, member of the board for trustees and chairperson of the board of directors at Al Jalila Foundation; Humaid Mohammad Obaid Al Qutami, director-general of Dubai Health Authority; Abdullah Al Shaibani, secretary-general of Dubai Executive Council; members of the Board of Trustees of Al Jalila Foundation and a number of philanthropists and members of the community.
Dr Al Gurg said: “Our success tonight is testament to the generosity of the people of the UAE. We are very grateful for the support of our sponsors, auction donors and everyone for a wonderful evening. It’s truly inspiring to see the community come together to support local medical research.”
The Dh89.8 million raised in the auction included a Dh25 million donation from Sunny Varkey, group chairman and founder of GEMS Education, and Dh10 million from Raghuvinder Kataria, a long-term supporter of the foundation.
The auction organised by Emirates Auction, a leading global auction house, began online to enable wider participation and attracted more than 600 bids, including international participants, and culminated with a live auction at the charity gala.
Emirates Auction holds five Guinness World Records for the most expensive car plates, properties and vessels sold at auction. Following Al Jalila Foundation charity auction, Emirates Auction now holds the world record for the highest amount ever raised for a race helmet and horse saddle, adding to the company’s long list of accolades.
Earlier this month, Al Jalila Foundation received a Dh60 million donation from Dr Rajen A. Kilachand. In addition, donations to the value of Dh90 million came from Abdul Salam Kandampath and Shamlal Madathum Parambath, Dr Azad Moopen, Dr B R Shetty, Micky Jagtiani, Nilesh Ved, Puthan N. C. Menon, Faizal Kottikollon and Shabana Faizal.
Al Jalila Foundation’s investments in medical research and education aim to nurture a future generation of highly-qualified medical professionals through postgraduate scholarships, research seed grants and international fellowships.
The Al Jalila Foundation Research Centre, the UAE’s first independent multi-disciplinary medical research centre, will bring together local and international scientists to address the region’s most pressing health challenges: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and mental health. The state-of-the-art centre is scheduled to open in 2017 at Dubai Healthcare City.
