RIYADH — In an exceptional night full of joy and festivity, the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) organized mass wedding of 300 Saudi couples. The celebration titled "Night of a Lifetime" was held as part of the social responsibility initiatives of the ongoing 5th edition of the Riyadh Season festival. Each of the new couples of mass wedding extravaganza will be gifted with a car and housing. The Abu Bakr Salem Theater staged the men's wedding ceremony on the first day of the celebration on Tuesday, while the women's ceremony will be held on Wednesday at the Mohammed Abdu Arena of the Riyadh Season. The celebration of the wedding night, which was announced by GEA Chairman Turki Al-Sheikh, featured a concert and a dinner gala. A group of renowned artists including Abdullah Rashad, Fahad Al-Kubaisi, and Ayed enthralled the attendees with their mesmerizing performances. "Based on the Riyadh Season's social responsibility towards the young men and women planning to tie the knot and, in their support, we've decided to hold a mass wedding ceremony for a total of 600 brides and grooms," Al-Sheikh said earlier. The GEA initiative was not limited to celebration only, but also included housing support and free transportation for the newlyweds. The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing announced the allotment of private housing to the newlyweds during the coming holy month of Ramadan, in a step aimed at enhancing family stability for the beneficiaries. Alwaleed Philanthropies provided 300 cars as gifts to the new couples, adding more joy to their celebration. As part of enhancing community support, an agreement was signed earlier between Al-Sheikh and Minister of Municipalities and Housing and Chairman of Sakkan Foundation Majed Al-Hogail with the aim of providing housing solutions for 300 beneficiaries of the initiative. Other agreements were also signed with a number of donor agencies, to ensure the sustainability of social initiatives that contribute to supporting Saudi youth. The ceremony also saw several companies offering services to couples during the mega charity event. These services included hospitality, dining, hall decorations, bridal and groom attire, perfumes, grooming, premarital tests, coffee and tea, and family counseling sessions. The newly married couples were also provided with gifts and services including free internet for one year. The "Night of a Lifetime" initiative is a continuation of the efforts made during the Riyadh Season to support youth, not only through entertainment, but through purposeful social initiatives that contribute to improve the quality of life and enable them build stable families.
