Dubai Cares last evening unveiled twenty miniature Burj Khalifa structures painted by prominent Emirati artists, called the “Burj of Giving”, at a special ceremony organized in partnership with The Ara Gallery and Emaar Properties PJSC. The event, which raised more than AED 1 million in support of child education in developing countries, was attended by participating artists as well as individuals and corporations that purchased the miniature structures.
The event, which was held in Burj Plaza in Downtown Dubai, also included an auction by Christie’s, the world’s largest fine arts auction house, of a special structure painted by renowned artist, Abdulqader Al Rais. The winning bid of the auctioned structure amounted to AED 130,000. All proceeds from the sale and auction of the structures will go towards Dubai Cares’ primary education programs in developing countries.
Speaking at the event, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares said: “The support we received for this initiative is yet another example of how the spirit of philanthropy is deeply rooted within the UAE community. We are particularly grateful for the support we received and are truly inspired by the creativity the artists expressed in painting these representations of the Burj Khalifa, one of the world’s most iconic structures.”
“Flagship initiatives such as this, set an example of innovative collaboration between members of the UAE business, non-profit and art sectors to help improve the lives of millions of children around the world. We hope this initiative inspires other organizations to follow suit and implement creative approaches to fundraising by involving the community at large,” added Al Gurg.
Ahmad Al Falasi, Executive Director, Property Management, Emaar Properties, said: “Burj Khalifa symbolises the spirit of global collaboration and the can-do spirit of Dubai, and serves as the referral point for engineers, architects, and artists. The Burj of Giving initiative not only highlights how Burj Khalifa serves as an inspiration for our local artists, but we are also honoured that it serves a noble cause in supporting Dubai’s flagship philanthropic organization, further underlining our city as a beacon of hope for people across the region.”
Mouza Mohammed Al Abbar, Founder, The Ara Gallery said, "We are very fortunate to be part of this great cause. The Ara Gallery believes strongly in giving back to the community and it is with great pleasure that we do so through Dubai Cares with the support of Burj Khalifa and the 17 Emirati artists. Their dedicated effort in this project is what made it such a success. Each artist has expressed him/herself through their art on a very non-conventional surface, the Burj Khalifa itself, and we are very excited to share the end product with everyone".
The list of talented Emirati artists who supported this initiative include Abdulqader Al Rais, Najat Makki, Khalid Al Jallaf, Khalifa El Shimy, Mattar Bin Lahej, Khulood Mohamed Ali Al Jabri, Maitha Bin Demaithan, Khawla Darwish, Abdulrauf Khalfan Al Mawali, Alia AbdulHakim Al Malik, Alia Hussain Lootah, Dana Al Mazrouei, Maisoon Al Saleh, Maryam Al Sayegh, Nada Khalid Mohammed, Sarah Ibrahim Nasser and Watani Program.
The twenty Burj Khalifa structures were acquired by the following donors: Alpen Capital, Arif & Bintoak Consulting Architects & Engineers, Burj Khalifa, Business Central Towers, Crescent Enterprises, Dubai International Academy, Dubai Investments, Emaar Properties PJSC, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du), Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat), EnerPlastics LLC, ITP Charitable Trust, Mr. Badr Jafar, National Trading & Developing Est., Nazih Group, Paris Gallery, Patchi, Sadia, The Indian High School and UAE Financial Markets Association.