Title image: (Left to right) Mr Essa Al Mannai, Executive Director, Reach Out To Asia (ROTA); Mr Jamil Al Majed, Vice Chairman, Al Majed Jewellery; Mr Khalifa Hassan Al Jehani, Chief of Corporate Support, Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail), discuss the upcoming Gala Dinner.

Doha, Qatar, 14 November 2016: A host of local and international celebrities will attend the Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) Gala Dinner at Al Shaqab on 19^th November, which will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.

The event aims to raise funds for ROTA’s educational programmes that provide marginalized communities in Asia and the Middle East with access to quality education and learning facilities.

Essa Al Mannai, Executive Director of ROTA, has announced names of prominent guests who will be in attendance and has revealed some of the unique items that will be on auction at the biennial event.

“The Gala Dinner is the most important event on our social calendar – it’s an evening dedicated to valuing the importance of education, youth empowerment, volunteer work and of championing the work of Reach Out To Asia. We are honoured to welcome prominent local, regional and international figures to join us in celebrating the event’s 10th anniversary, which marks an important milestone on our journey to achieving equitable education for all,” said Al Mannai.

Among the prominent guests who will be in attendance are: Lord Mark Poltimore, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby's Europe; Caroline Scheufele, Chopard Cofounder; Singer Latifa; Lojain Omran, a prominent media figure; Malek Jandali, pianist and composer; as well as chief executives and owners of Qatar’s largest companies.

Sotheby’s, the world famous international auction house, will open bidding for a number of rare items on the evening. Attendees will be able to bid for a trip for two to the edge of space on an aircraft that will take them to more than 100,000 feet within the layers of the planet’s atmosphere.

The auction will feature a Patek Philippe’s dome table clock and a Qatari Natural Jeewan pearl necklace offered by Al Majed Jewellery; a Hermès men’s trunk donated by Mr Wissam Al Mana; as well as a 2017 BMW M3 30 Jahre Limited Edition donated by Al Fardan Automobiles, in addition to a Louis Moinet Mecanograph limited edition watch.

Funds from the auction will also go to existing and future ROTA education initiatives in support of Syrian Refugees, including the ‘Longing to Learn’ program in Lebanon, the ‘I Had a Dream’ initiative in Jordan and ‘Project Tomorrow’ in Turkey. Other ROTA initiatives that will receive funding include the ‘Opportunities for Life’ program in Bangladesh, the ‘Bringing Back Hope’ project in Yemen and the ‘1 in 11’ campaign in Indonesia, in partnership with UNICEF and FC Barcelona Foundation.

Launched 10 years ago, this year’s event will be held under the theme ‘Team up Today, Shape up Tomorrow’, which represents the significance of what can be done by joining efforts for the benefit of those who are most in need.

The Gala Dinner will be sponsored by Al Majed Jewellery, the event’s Gold sponsor and Qatar Rail, the event’s Silver sponsor.

Mr Jamil bin Mahdi Al Majed, Deputy Chairman of Al Majed Jewellery, said: "Education is the best message that Qatar can export to the world since it represents a national investment and a bridge towards a better future. Thus, we are pleased to contribute to the sustainable development of communities by investing and raising awareness about the importance of education.”

Proceeds from the 5th ROTA Gala Dinner held in 2014 were used to support Syrian refugees in Lebanon, youth in Nepal and the West Bank, and to rehabilitate schools in Tunisia. ROTA, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), is committed to providing education opportunities and promoting peace, tolerance, and understanding through its innovative programs.

Attendance

The dinner will attract distinguished guests from around the world, including Lord Mark Poltimore, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby's Europe; caroline Scheufel, Chopard owner; SInger Latifa Al Irfawi; Lojain Omran, a prominent media figure; Xavi Hernández, former Barcelona football player; and Malek Jandali, pianist and composer. These attendees will be among the high profile figures who will take part in the auction.

Objectives

The biennial event aims to raise funds for ROTA's educational activities and projects in Asia and in the Middle East, and to support the educational needs of children and youth affected by poverty, wars and political conflicts.

Collected funds are used to establish educational programs, to build and renovate schools, to encourage children and youth re-entry into education as well as to provide employment opportunities for workers in the field of education.

Expected outcomes

This year's event will feature the charity auction, as mentioned earlier, that will fund a number of ROTA projects in support of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Palestine, Yemen, and Bangladesh. The donors will be designated as the sponsors of each project.

These projects include:

"Longing to Learn" - Lebanon (Syrian refugees)

"I Had a Dream" - Jordan (Syrian refugees)

"Project Tomorrow" - Turkey (Syrian refugees)

"Opportunities for Life" - Bangladesh

"Bringing Back Hope" - Yemen

"1 in 11" - Indonesia - A campaign in partnership with UNICEF and FC Barcelona (football club)

This year's gala dinner will raise donations through an auction of rare items donated by a number of businessmen, companies, and celebrities. These items include:

• A trip to the edge of space for two people
• A Hermès men's trunk
• A Patek Philippe's Dome Table Clock
• A Louis Moinet Mecanograph limited edition watch
• A Qatari Natural Jeewan Pearl Necklace
• A 2017 BMW M3 Saloon "30 Jahre Edition"
  

A limited number of exclusive VIP seats for this prestigious event are available at a cost of USD 60,000. Individual seats can be purchased for USD 6,000 and corporate tables for USD 60,000.

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AngelPolacco

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