The ‘100 Million Meals’ Live charity art auction held in Dubai on Saturday was an extraordinary exemplification of Humanity supporting Humanity. It recorded an amazing sell-out of valuable items under the humanitarian initiative by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Dubai’s largest charity auction of artworks was held in the presence of leading artists and celebrities, from the private collections of world leaders. It raised Dh 36,673,000, which will help provide 36,673,000 meals to the needy in 30 countries across the globe during the Holy month of Ramadan. The biggest charity art auction was organized by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) in-line with the Global Initiative to curb hunger from the world by 2030.
The live in-person event on Saturday (24th April, 2021) night featured a bit of the Kiswa, the quilt of the Kaaba structure in Mecca’s grand mosque, from the private assortment of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai. A piece of Kiswa was sold for $2.7 million. There were different works offered by eminent personalities like the late South African President Nelson Mandela, artists Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, David Hockney, Henry Moore and British creator Sacha Jafri, who recently created the world’s largest painting on canvas in Dubai for charity in the ballroom of The Atlantis. A part of Jafri’s ‘The Road to Journey of Humanity’ painting sold-out for $4.2 million, the largest amount that was raised at the auction.
The auction took place at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira in Dubai, and was attended by H.H. Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture); Florian Picasso, the great-grandson of the Spanish creator Pablo Picasso; Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications; Sima Ved, Founder & chairwoman of Apparel Group; Vikram Shroff, Director UPL Group; Mona Kattan, Co-Founder of Huda Beauty & Kayali Fragrances; German Tennis personality Boris Becker; Boxing legend Amir Khan and Marjorie Harvey, wife of American TV host Steve Harvey, additionally to many philanthropists, artists, high-profile personalities, and businessmen to support ‘100 Million Meals’ aid efforts.
Meals parcels’ distribution has already begun in several countries including Jordan, Egypt and Pakistan. To create positive swift and inherent distribution, the MBRGI is functioning with variety of worldwide and native companions in each beneficiary nation to ship the parcels, alongside the United Nations World Meals Programme. The main purpose of the event was to raise money and also encourage everyone across the globe to do their bit, no matter how small or large the amount is. The UAE, via its humanitarian initiatives, is devoted to providing assistance to those in need.
The auction hosted by Jonny Gould in the presence of Highnesses, Excellencies, industry leaders, artists and celebrities was a profound humanitarian act of people coming together to help remove hunger from the world.