The Bride Show Dubai 2006, the largest bridal show in the Middle East running on 4-7 April 2006 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, announced its support for BurJuman’s Safe and Sound breast cancer awareness Programme.
IIR Middle East, the leading exhibition company in the region and organisers of the highly anticipated bridal exhibition, is donating proceeds of the entrance fees that will be collected on the show’s last day on 7 April 2006 to help the project intensify its awareness campaign. All other days, however, are free to the public, with the 5th and 6th of April being exclusively for women.
“We are honoured to be a part of such a noteworthy project,” said Charlotte Proudman, Exhibition Manager, IIR Middle East. “We wanted to make this year’s edition of The Bride Show Dubai more meaningful so we decided on supporting the Safe and Sound campaign. Breast cancer is a disease that has affected an increasing number of women in the region, and we are thankful for the opportunity to help.”
Last year, The Bride Show Dubai attracted twenty thousand visitors, primarily young Emarati women, Arab nationals and affluent expatriates who live in the Arabian Gulf. “This year promises to be an even more exciting show with new service features and products from the region’s leading wedding and bridal service companies. There will also be daily fashion shows featuring wedding ensembles, gallery displays, competitions and the much awaited Swarovski Young Designers Award for upcoming and promising bridal gown designers,” added Proudman.
The Bride Show Dubai’s support for BurJuman’s Safe and Sound breast awareness campaign could not have come at a better time. Statistics posted on the Safe and Sound website (www.safeandsounduae.org) show that 1 out of 9 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Significantly, additional data from the same website show that UAE women over the age of 45 run a higher risk of missing the warning signs of breast cancer than younger women because of a lack of education and for fear of the social stigma usually associated with such a disease.
Now on its 9th year, the BurJuman Safe and Sound breast cancer awareness campaign has helped raise public awareness about breast cancer, focusing on early detection and treatment of the disease. “We are happy with how far the campaign has gone in terms of educating the public about breast cancer. However, a lot remains to be done, and so many challenges still need to be overcome,” said Sabina Khandwani, Research and Marketing Director, BurJuman. “We have been able to push an otherwise taboo subject into mainstream discussions, as a result more and more people are getting involved in the project. Thanks to IIR Middle East and The Bride Show Dubai 2006, we can reach out to more people with information and support for breast cancer prevention and treatment.”
Among the preventive steps recommended by the Safe and Sound campaign include annual breast examinations by a medical professional, annual mammography screening for women over 40 years of age and regular breast self-examination (BSE) starting as early as in late teens.
Supporting BurJuman’s Safe and Sound campaign is just one of many community initiatives being undertaken by IIR Middle East as part of its corporate social programme.
The Bride Show Dubai is proud to be under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Ladies Club, Wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs and is supported by The Dubai Ladies Club and the Association of Professional Interior Designers, and is sponsored by Tanagra, Al Aquili Furnishings, Swarovski, Linx, BurJuman, Abu Haleeqa, Pistache, Technopro, HSBC, Privelage, B&O, Jacuzzi, Grand Stores, DNATA, Al Yashmac, Eternity, Gaby Photos, Designer Fabric, Rave Audio Visual, Provoke, and Shattaf.
