Bride Show Abu Dhabi boost for Make-a-Wish Foundation

Her Highness Sheikha Sheikha Bint Saif, wife of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Kahlifa Al Nahyan and Patron of the Foundation's UAE affiliate office, accepted the donation from IIR (The Institute for International Research), organisers of the four-day event which reached its conclusion today.

'We're very grateful for the donation which will help us in our ongoing efforts to bring pleasure to more children with terminal illnesses,' said Khadija Warsama, Executive Director of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of the UAE.'

The Make-a-Wish Foundation, a non-profit organisation, currently operates in 33 countries and is the largest wish-granting organisation in the world.

Set up three years ago with the backing of Dubai Humanitarian and Aid City, the Foundation's UAE affiliate office serves an estimated 1,200 children aged between 3 and 18 years in the Emirates.

It is responsible for securing its own funding, so the amount of money raised determines the number of wishes granted. To date wishes have been granted for 34 children, an average of almost one per month.

'The Foundation works very hard to bring pleasure into the lives of terminally ill children and their families, and the volunteers who carry out its work in the UAE are very special people,' said Geoffrey Booy, Group Exhibitions Director for IIR Middle East. 'They deserve the support of the local business community and The Bride Show Abu Dhabi is pleased to support.'

From its official opening on Tuesday by Her Highness Sheikha Sheikha Bint Saif, The Bride Show Abu Dhabi set a lively pace as a showcase in the UAE capital for the region's booming wedding industry.

Business was brisk at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre as brides-to-be took the chance to shop for everything needed for the perfect wedding under one roof from an international line-up of bridal fashion and jewelry designers and wedding service suppliers.

Daily fashion shows unveiling both traditional and modern bridal looks were a major attraction, and as the event drew towards its conclusion IIR said it was well on course to achieve its target of more than 20,000 visitors.

Now the attention of the regional wedding industry switches to The Bride Show Dubai, the largest bridal show in the Middle East, which celebrates its tenth anniversary when it takes place from 10-13 April at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

IIR anticipates a final line-up of more than 400 exhibitors compared with 301 in 2006, while visitor numbers are also expected to continue the climb from 12,000 in 2004 to 29,000 last year.

Staged in conjunction with the event is Ambiente Al Bayt Al Arabie, the Middle East's only Arabian home interiors and accessories exhibition. Research carried out last year's event found that nearly half of visitors planned to spend more than AED20,000 on home furnishing in the next year, and 68% planned to redecorate their home on average every two years.