UAE Sponsors Mass Wedding for 250 Palestinian Couples in Gaza

The United Arab Emirates has sponsored a mass wedding ceremony for 250 Palestinian couples in the Gaza Strip, providing hundreds of newlyweds with an opportunity to celebrate their marriages despite the hardship caused by the ongoing conflict.

The ceremony was held on Friday, November 6, at the Gaza City beachfront under the UAE’s Operation Gallant Knight 3 humanitarian initiative, according to reports by UAE-based media.

The event, organised under the initiative’s Thawb Al Farah 3 (Garment of Joy) programme, brought together couples from different parts of the Palestinian territory for a collective celebration.

The brides appeared in wedding gowns carrying bouquets, while the grooms wore formal suits, with some displaying traditional Palestinian keffiyeh scarves.

A spokesperson for Operation Gallant Knight 3, Azzam Shaath, said the 250 grooms were selected through a public lottery after meeting the programme’s eligibility requirements.

He explained that the initiative was designed to support young Palestinians who could not afford individual wedding ceremonies because of difficult financial circumstances.

The programme also provides financial assistance and essential household items to help the couples begin their married lives.

One of the newlyweds, Bahaa Mteir, described the ceremony as a welcome moment of happiness after years of suffering and destruction.

The UAE’s Presidential Adviser, Dr Anwar Gargash, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to humanitarian assistance in Gaza, saying the Palestinian people remained central to its relief efforts.

He noted that humanitarian support should go beyond providing basic necessities to include initiatives that restore hope and bring moments of happiness to affected communities.

The latest ceremony is the third mass wedding organised under the programme. The first brought together 54 couples in Khan Younis in December 2025, while the second united 300 couples in Deir Al Balah in April 2026.

Operation Gallant Knight 3 was launched on November 5, 2023, to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians affected by the war.

According to figures reported by UAE media, the operation has delivered more than 136,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid valued at approximately $4.16 billion.

The mass wedding offered a rare moment of celebration for families in Gaza, where conflict, displacement and economic hardship have made traditional wedding ceremonies difficult for many young couples.