The second edition of the Designs of Hope charity exhibition concluded on a high note, with proved to be a huge success with all of the designer collections being sold out. Dubai Ladies Club raised AED 500,000 from the sale of over 500 Abayas, Jalabiyas and Kaftans, to benefit the UAE Water AID initiative - which was recently launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, with the aim to help provide five million people in developing countries with improved access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation.

The funds were donated to the UAE Red Crescent during an official meeting, held yesterday at Dubai Ladies Club, which was presented by HE Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Chairperson of Dubai Women Establishment Board & Vice President of Dubai Ladies Club to Mr. Mohammed Al-Zarouni, Director General of the Red Crescent in Dubai.

Designs of Hope is a charity exhibition, held annually in conjunction with the Holy Month of Ramadan to support noble humanitarian causes. The exhibition which ran for 4 days, featured collections donated from 16 home-grown UAE fashion labels, sold at the highly discounted value of AED 1,000 and AED 500.

On the occasion, Lamia Abdulaziz Khan, Director of Dubai Ladies Club said, "We are delighted to note that this edition of Designs of Hope has been one of the most successful charitable campaigns organised by Dubai Ladies Club ever. The funds raised will be used to continue the work of UAE Water Aid to improve slum dwellers access to water/sanitation provision, shelter, waste management and infrastructure. Safe water for drinking and washing helps people stay well, which in turn means they can stay in school, earn an income and ultimately take control of their own lives."

She continued, "The response to this event exceeded all of our expectations, reaching double the initial target. It shows just how much public support this campaign has gathered from the community. None of this would have been possible without the generous contributions from our supporters which include our generous designers, sponsors and of course the ladies that came to shop for a good cause."

Designs of Hope features collections from Queen Of Spades, Slouchy'z, R Design, R Style, House of Kaftan, 1001 Abayas, Moonoir, Lamsty, Yazy, The Black Thread, Abeer Al Suwaidi, HF Boutique, Chateau, Maryam Al Hammadi, Mouzan, and Designers Empire.

The event is supported by Tejar Dubai, an initiative powered by the Dubai Chamber as the Platinum sponsor and Bloomingdales-Dubai as the Gold sponsor. Moreover, catering was kindly sponsored by Mama Tani Cafe, who provided an authentic Emirati selection of snacks and drinks to all guests.

UAE Water Aid campaign comes in the light of the aggravation of water scarcity issue in many parts of the world over the past decades. This scarcity has resulted in threatening the life of millions of people, heralding grave dangers if world countries and international bodies do not initiate prompt plans and strategies so as to bring forward radical solutions for this issue in afflicted areas. World Health Organisation (WHO) figures show that more than 3.4 million die every year due to thirst and diseases caused by unclean water.

It is worth mentioning, Dubai Ladies Club first launched Designs of Hope in 2013, which raised around AED 300,000 from the sale of over 300 Abayas, Jalabiyas and Kaftans, in support of Noor Al Hayat, the first activity of Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative, to help prevent and cure blindness and restore the gift of sight to the poor around the world, through Noor Dubai Foundation.

Since its inception in 2003, Dubai Ladies Club has consistently worked towards adding value to the lives of Emirati and expatriate women living in the UAE through in-house events, facilities and pilot projects. In line with the Clubs ongoing commitment to community work and social development. In the past, DLC has worked with a number of non-profit and goodwill organizations, helping educate the public about their missions including various fundraiser events to support the FOCP Charity Bazaar, Gaza Crisis, Dubai Cares Water Bucket Campaign, Fundraising bazaar for Dubai Centre for Special Needs and many more. Moreover, the events department at Dubai Ladies Club also offers charitable organizations the opportunity to host charity events and fundraisers at the Club free of charge.