UAE sponsors weddings of Gazans as part of Eid Al Etihad celebrations

Fifty-four Palestinian grooms celebrated their weddings on Tuesday after being selected through a draw from among 577 registered applicants, coinciding with the UAE’s 54th Eid Al Etihad.

- Sara AlKuwari

The celebrations are part of the Thoub Al-Farah (Gown of Joy) initiative, organised under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, which has given hope to families whose homes were destroyed by the war and revived dreams that were nearly lost beneath the rubble.

Hundreds of engaged young men rushed to register on the Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 website, hoping to enter the draw that would select 54 grooms to receive a fully sponsored Emirati wedding.

According to Al Bayan newspaper, the operation provided tents, essential aid parcels, and basic supplies to 577 grooms in Gaza, ensuring assistance reached all those who registered for the draw, not only those selected, in a broad effort to support youth during these extraordinary circumstances.

Saleh Al Sabbah said: “My dream home is gone because of the war, but we will start again from the tent provided for us.”

Standing beside the small tent built on the rubble of what was once his family home, Al Sabbah said, “This was our apartment — the place we dreamed of living in. The war destroyed it, and now our home is this tent.”