A huge mass wedding saw 250 couples from 19 different Arab countries tie the knot in Sharjah over the weekend.
According to Gulf News, all mass weddings previously held in the UAE only included Emirati couples, which makes this specific event the first of its kind.
Couples who took part originally hail from Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, and Egypt, to name a few. They are individuals who were born or have lived in the UAE for a long period of time.
Dubbed the "Zayed Arab Mass Wedding," the huge event was organized by Sharjah's Arab Family Organization and financed by UAE-based businessman Abdulrahim Al Zarooni.
A wedding like no other
Al Zarooni donated 30,000 dirhams ($8,167) to each couple who wed at the event, which featured "performances and dinner along with the wedding ceremony."
The families and friends of all 250 couples were invited to attend the festivities.
Speaking to Gulf News, Jamal Bin Obaid Al Bah, the chairman of the Arab Family Organization, explained the reason why such an event was held in the UAE, saying:
"This is a way to show them [non-Emirati couples] that UAE [sic] is their home, many of them have been part of the UAE's growth. Their parents have been doctors and teachers in the country. This is a thank you - a way of giving back to them."
He also added that the celebration was held in accordance with The Year of Zayed and is dedicated to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Mass weddings are common in the UAE
Several mass weddings are annually held across the UAE in a bid to ease financial pressure often faced by young couples.
In 1992, the country established a "Marriage Fund" which gets backing from UAE leaders and "provides citizens with financial support for the formation of an Emirati family, thus encouraging the recipients to marry citizens."
As part of its 2015 grant, the fund gave over "Dh15 million to nearly 400 newlywed Emiratis."
According to The National, "more than 65,000 couples have benefited from the fund" since it was first established.