Dubai: A group of women, including two Emiratis, are launching a breast cancer awareness campaign on October 31, which begins with a charity auction to raise funds.
The event, titled ‘Hope’, supported by the Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation (KAHF), will focus on the importance on early detection and will be held at the Bentley Cafe and Boutique in Dubai.
Some of the items to be auctioned include a watch by Swiss watchmaker Hublot, tickets to experience the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix, exclusive entry to the McLaren Automotive Hospitality Suite at the November Grand Prix, two-day complementary hire of a McLaren 570s, and Bentley merchandise including a Bentley Continental Saddle handbag.
The women behind the initiative are Noora Mohammad Al Habtoor, granddaughter of well-known UAE businessman and philanthropist Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, and Mariam Abdullah Al Mazrooei, wife of Ahmad Al Habtoor, CEO, Al Habtoor Motors.
Al Habtoor, who recently joined the Al Habtoor Group, studied psychology and is an advocate of corporate social responsibility. She said, “It is important for corporations to tackle issues like breast cancer, and not push them under the table. Early detection of the disease is key to prevention, and to saves lives.”
She added, “There are many possible risks and causes of breast cancer including age, family history and lifestyle. Hope is designed to help alert people to the risks and mitigate them. Giving back is ingrained in our family, and I am part of a new generation of Habtoors that want to build on this.”
Al Mazrooei, a supporter of female empowerment and the role of women in society and their economic impact, said, “Through Hope we aim to show the community that businesses care about women in the UAE, and to help get rid of the stigma attached to breast cancer. Sufferers not only have to deal with the physical and physiological aspects of the disease but they also feel isolated. We want to help get rid of the negative aspects of cancer diagnosis.
