Daily Times

Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, organised a charity art auction in partnership with The Citizens Foundation (TCF), to raise funds for the construction of a new primary school unit in Larkana, Sindh province of Pakistan. The money raised from the event will also cover the schools operational cost for the first three years.

The charity auction, which took place at the Palazzo Versace Hotel in Dubai, brought together over 400 influential businessmen and dignitaries from the UAE, including leading members of Pakistans diaspora in the country, who bid generously to acquire the art pieces.

A number of renowned artists from South Asia, Middle East and Europe presented their artworks, with more than 80 art pieces ranging from paintings to sculptures in addition to a few exclusive collectors items offered at the auction. Among the items was a bat that belonged to former Pakistan cricket team captain Younis Khan, who became the first Pakistani batsman to complete 10,000 runs in Test cricket.

The existing TCF School Dubai Cares Campus in Larkana, which is located in a densely populated area surrounded by several villages, has six classrooms and 193 students enrolled at the campus. The existing classrooms have already reached maximum capacity, and the new school unit will be able to accommodate an additional 180 boys and girls.

Speaking on the occacian H.E. Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi, the UAE Ambassador in Islamabad, said We are grateful for the overwhelming support from prominent local and international artists, partners and art buyers who made the auction a success.

Ambassador Al Zaabi added Art is a universal language that brings people together and through this charity art auction, we along with Dubai Cares hope to help draw attention to the plight of disadvantaged children in Pakistan and around the world in access to education”.

Published in Daily Times, October 24^th 2018.