Emaar Retail LLC, the premier provider of leisure and entertainment choices in Dubai, has partnered with UAE-based philanthropic organisation Dubai Cares, to support the recently launched ‘Girls’ Education Campaign 2011.’ The campaign aims to increase awareness of the importance of girls’ education, as well as raise funds to support Dubai Cares programs that address the gender imbalances in primary education and empower girls within their communities in developing countries across the world.

As part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Cares, Emaar Retail LLC will host a summer-long campaign which will run across all its leisure attractions in The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall throughout the holy month of Ramadan and conclude after Eid Al Adha. The MoU was signed by Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Retail LLC, and Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares.

Mr Amiri said: “Education is the cornerstone of personal and community development, and providing educational opportunities for underprivileged children, especially girls, can make an epochal difference to an entire society. Empowering women has proved to bring tangible benefits to societies by fostering financial independence, which in turn enables them to counter poverty and support the family for a better standard of living.”

He added: “Dubai Cares has been at the forefront of driving a monumental change globally by providing children in developing countries with access to quality primary education. We are honoured to partner with Dubai Cares, which underlines the global vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and to support the programme through our leisure attractions, with the special objective of promoting girls’ education. The campaign will be a perfect fit to celebrate the spirit of the Holy Month of Ramadan marked by charity, compassion and solidarity.”

Mr Al Gurg said, “The Dubai Cares Girls’ Education Campaign 2011 is part of our commitment to help achieve, by 2015, the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 3 of promoting gender equality by addressing the imbalance that exists with respect to the availability and accessibility of quality primary education to girls in developing countries. Education is the most effective tool to break the cycle of poverty, a strong belief which motivated His Highness Sheikh Mohammed to launch Dubai Cares in 2007. This partnership with Emaar Retail will help us intensify our programme interventions and bring quality primary education to a larger number of girls globally.”

The campaign, in line with the corporate social responsibility initiatives of Emaar Retail LLC, offers visitors to The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall a unique opportunity to support a worthy cause that resonates to the true spirit of the Holy Month of Ramadan. With the malls attracting strong footfall led by the ‘Summer in Dubai’ initiative, the campaign has also been strategically timed to reach out a wider population.

The leisure attractions of Emaar Retail, which attract record visitors, include: Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo featuring some 33,000 aquatic animals; the Olympic-size Dubai Ice Rink; the Middle East’s largest and first of its kind indoor theme park – SEGA Republic; an award-winning children’s edutainment centre KidZania; the 22-screen Reel Cinemas at The Dubai Mall, and the six-screen premier boutique Reel Cinemas at Dubai Marina Mall.

Special donation boxes are set up at all these locations enabling visitors to conveniently make their contributions. Additionally, customers can choose to make their contributions by donating AED 5 over and above the price of entry tickets at the various leisure attractions.

Emaar Retail is also undertaking a series of awareness initiatives including a video wall at Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, advertisements in the Reel Cinemas movie guides and overall multimedia coverage across The Dubai Mall to promote the message of Dubai Cares its campaign.

Special leaflets are also distributed at all the leisure attractions, in addition to banners and weekly newsletters online, encouraging visitors to make their valuable contributions. E-slides highlighting the campaign are screened at the Reel Cinemas too.

Emaar Retail LLC regularly undertakes initiatives to support the vulnerable sections of the society including hosting visits of children from charity organisations to its leisure attractions. The organisation is also at the forefront in strengthening environmental awareness and promoting sustainable development initiatives including energy and water conservation.