From left: ROTA Board Members Sheikha Aisha bint Faleh Al Thani and Rashid Al Naimi and ROTA Director Omnia Nour during the press conference yesterday at the Qatar Foundation Headquarters. (shaival Dalal)

DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned will grace the third Gala Dinner and Charity Auction of Reach Out To Asia (Rota) to be held on October 31 at the Museum of Islamic Art.

“Unlike the previous gala dinners, this event will be bigger and will have lot of surprises such as the charity auction which will feature a unique collection of jewellery inspired by H H Sheikha Mozah. It will also witness high calibre guests and is expected to raise more funds for Rota,” said Rota Board Member Sheikha Aisha bint Faleh Al Thani, responding to The Peninsula.

In her address during the press conference held yesterday at the Qatar Foundation Headquarters to officially announce the event, Sheikha Aisha spoke on the ‘promise and possibility’ of the upcoming gala dinner.

“The funds raised will be used to develop, connect and act on behalf of the communities, youth and children we serve across Asia and the Middle East – that’s the promise. As a result, thousands of students’ lives will be touched, educated and empowered – that’s the possibility,” she said.

On the other hand, Rashid Al Naimi, Rota Board Member explained that the gala dinner goes beyond being a stand alone event. “The entire evening will be symbolic of our positive and proactive approach and an expression of Rota’s on-going involvement across the Asian continent,” said Al Naimi.

He also said the evening will bring together some of the world’s best known faces and highly esteemed brands and introduce them to the thousands of crisis affected children and youth all across Asia and the Middle East.

Apart from a jewellery collection inspired by Sheikha Mozah, the auction, which will be directed by Sotheby’s, will include fantastic items such as paintings, handcrafted art and collectibles, a super luxury car and a luxury apartment to go under hammer.

Donors include Adler Jewellers and Amiri Gems, Cartier, Hermes, Sir Richard Branson, UDC, Lorenzo Quinn and Sacha Jafri.

Despite the fact that the gala dinner would coincide with the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, Omnia Nour, Rota Director, was optimistic of the success of the event saying each has its own identity and that it would be an opportunity to further forge partnerships.

Held three years ago, the second gala dinner raised an impressive $11.25m and attracted 500 guests and extensive local and international media coverage.

the peninsula