A charity auction held in Dubai city in UAE has raised around AED41 million (USD11 million) by selling various exhibited articles including old collectibles, Arabian horses, license plates, and special phone numbers.

The auction came as part of the efforts to support the “Reading Nation” campaign, which succeeded in providing four million books to the needy students and refugees around the world, and contributed in providing more than 2,000 schools worldwide with reading books.

The charity auction sold all exhibited articles, including a 106-year-old artifact from the Kaaba attire donated by HH Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE’s vice-president, prime minister, and ruler of Dubai, bought by AED2.1 million.

Mohammad al-Gergawi, secretary-general of Mohammad bin Rashid Global Awards said Mohammad bin Rashid’s support for this humanitarian auction was a clear message in highlighting the importance of reading in the Arab and Islamic world and in enhancing knowledge and education, considered as the shortest path to defeat ignorance and the best way to spread tolerance and civilization.

He added that five million books granted by UAE to the Arab and Islamic world will definitely be a remarkable step in this world’s scientific, cultural, and educational path.

Gergawi also said that the Year of Reading in UAE will be a year of reading for the entire Arab world due to the leadership’s support and the awareness of the people of the Emirates in fulfilling their humanitarian message toward millions of children who are deprived of reading and books.

The Secretary-General of Mohammad bin Rashid Global Awards revealed that the Mohammad bin Rashid Global Initiatives will soon kick off, in cooperation with the UAE Red Crescent and international organizations, to distribute seven million books to all refugee camps across the Arab world.

It is worth mentioning that the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai offered five license plates of pair numbers to support the auction, in addition to ten phone numbers offered by the Emirati telecommunication companies “Etisalat” and “du.”

Source: english.aawsat.com