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ABOUT 25 colourful wooden horses designed under "Dubai Celebration of the Arabian Horse" project, were auctioned live by Christie's of London at the Madinat Jumeirah on Wednesday.
The bidding fetched about $1 million (Dhs3.65 million) towards charity. The highest bid was Dhs280,000 for the horse titled "In Memory of Sheikh Zayed."
The horses, designed by about 70 artists from 30 countries, were in a variety of colours and designs.
About 53 horses were auctioned "silently."
These horses had been placed side by side in the hallway adjoining the ballroom where the auctioning was being conducted.
Small boxes had been placed beside each horse in which people could place their bids with their contact details and the highest bidder would be given the concerned horse.
An official said 100 such wooden horses had been kept for sale, of which 78 had gone for auction or box bidding, while the remaining were bought back by their sponsors.
Speaking on the occasion, Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) chief executive officer Seed Al Naboudah said performance is the key word that sums up the spirit of Dubai's Arabian Horse even if they were statues.
He urged the gathering of bidders and others to celebrate the spirit of the horse by participating whole-heartedly in the auction, while also witnessing the "performance of these horses in the race for charity."
The funds raised from this event for charity would reinforce Dubai's reputation as a city where the essence of charitable giving is "alive and kicking," he added.
The project organisers Ken and Patricia Palmer described the gala auction as the culmination of the public art and charity project and added that the funds would go to children's and cultural organisations.
The charities being covered in this effort include Al Noor Centre for Special Needs, Dubai Autism Centre, Dubai Centre for Special Needs, Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre, Emirates Children's Symphony Orchestra, Medicin Sans Frontieres, Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre and Riding for the Disabled Association of Dubai.
Charity event
The Madinat Jumeirah was also the venue simultaneously for another charity event.
A cheque for Dhs400,000 was presented to an official of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment by Tawhid Abdullah, chief executive officer of Damas and chairman of the Gold and Jewellery Group.
This amount was raised during the DSF "World Family Commemorative Gold Coin Promotion" where in 3.1 grams of gold mementoes were sold throughout the month-long festival with one percent of the sale proceeds earmarked for charity.
Nabouda said the DSF was not limited to just shopping, entertainment and winning, but also went beyond the cosmetic look to reflect upon the spirit of sharing under its theme "One World, One Family, One Festival."
He said the gold coin promotion witnessed the coins being sold at Dhs250 each and the credit for this endeavour went to the buyers who contribued their mite for a good cause.
Abdullah lauded the successful partnership in such efforts over the years for raising funds for charity.
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