Prince Mishaal Bin Majed, the Governor of Jeddah, patronized the 11th mass marriage ceremony of 1,000 grooms at the International Exhibition and Convention Center here on Wednesday evening. The marriage ceremony, which was attended by more than 5,000 people, was organized by the Youth Marriage Assistance and Family Counseling Society which provided more than SR23 million in financial aid to the grooms in addition to SR6 million worth of home appliances and furniture. Well-known private sector companies provided financial support in order to make the annual marriage ceremony a success, and shopping malls and shops selling a wide range of brand name items provided special discounts for the grooms. The Okaz Organization for Press and Publication was the main media sponsor of the event. “I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to all of the businessmen who supported this charitable project. Holding such ceremonies is a benevolent activity according to Islamic Shariah, as it helps to provide stability to society,” Abdulmohsen Al-Khayyal, chairman of the board of directors of the charitable society, said. The deputy chairman of the board of directors of the charitable society Anas Abo Zara'h told Saudi Gazette that the organization's activities did not end after the marriage ceremony. “We conduct training courses for the grooms about the rights of spouses, home budget control and how couples can solve their problems during the first year marriage,” he said. This year's mass marriage ceremony included the symbolic participation of the disabled and the elderly who shared the joyous occasion with the newly wedded grooms. “I am a token participant here in order to send the message to the community that marriage is also for the disabled in society. Moreover, I am really happy to be here as I am sharing with the grooms their first day of married life,” Ammar Bogas, a disabled symbolic groom who participated in the ceremony in a wheelchair, told Saudi Gazette. The ceremony also included a raffle in which the prizes included six new automobiles provided by businessmen as a way of helping grooms start their new life. Apart from the financial aid, home appliances and furniture provided to newly married brides and grooms by the Society, 48,600 have benefited from the organization's free marriage training programs during the past 10 years.
