(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Fifty-four Palestinian grooms are celebrating their weddings on Tuesday after being selected through a draw from among 577 registered applicants, coinciding with the UAE's 54th National Day.

The celebrations are part of the Thoub Al-Farah (Gown of Joy) initiative, organised under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, which has restored hope to families whose homes were destroyed by the war and revived dreams that were nearly lost beneath the rubble.

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Hundreds of engaged young men rushed to register on the Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 website, hoping to enter the draw that would select 54 grooms to receive a fully sponsored Emirati wedding.

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According to Al Bayan newspaper, the operation provided tents, essential aid parcels, and basic supplies to 577 grooms in Gaza, ensuring assistance reached all those who registered for the draw, not only those selected, in a broad effort to support youth during these extraordinary circumstances.

Today, 54 grooms and brides are preparing for their long-awaited celebration.

Reviving hope

Saleh Al-Sabbah told Khaleej Times,“My dream home is gone because of the war, but we will start again from the tent provided for us.”

Standing beside the small tent built on the rubble of what was once his family home, Al-Sabbah said,“This was our apartment - the place we dreamed of living in. The war destroyed it, and now our home is this tent.”

Al-Sabbah, who lost his house, his leg, and a family member during the war, refuses to give up hope. He expressed that the moment his name appeared among the selected grooms, it brought hope back to him:“Being chosen restored my hope."

He is determined to start over, even if it means beginning his married life in a tent.“I will get married here, and we will build our new home from this tent and start our family. What happened won't break us. We are strong, resilient people.”

He also noted that the UAE provided everything they needed:“They gave us a tent, clothes, a groom's suit, a dress for the bride, transportation - everything I couldn't afford.”

Perfect time for happiness

Ahed Abu Dahrouj expressed,“After two years of war, this joy arrived at exactly the right time.”

“The Chivalrous Knight 3 page shared a link for young men whose engagements had been delayed,” said the 31-year-old Palestinian.

“We registered, and the number of applicants was huge, so they held a draw and selected 54 names. Thank God, I was one of them.”

He recalled the moment his name was called:“The feeling is indescribable... I made my family, my fiancée's family, and every household that heard the news incredibly happy.”

He noted that the initiative came after immense hardship:“Two years of war... no home was spared, and no family was untouched. We didn't know when we would ever celebrate. The grant came at the perfect time.”

Patience rewarded

Muath Abu Hleib shared,“I lost everything I had prepared for my marriage... this initiative has revived it.”

Abu Hleib had been engaged for a year and a half and had already prepared his marital home. However, he was forced to evacuate and abandon all he had built.

He said,“I couldn't get married because everything I had prepared was gone. I couldn't afford housing, expenses, or wedding preparations.”

He expressed deep joy at being selected among the grooms today, stating,“I had postponed my wedding until I could afford the costs, but this initiative allowed me to move the celebration forward and made it possible."

Abu Hleib explained that his family had been displaced eight times. Despite their efforts to support him, they never expected his name to be chosen.

Unexpected joy

Hikmat Liwa, 28 years old, said,“I thought I wasn't chosen... then suddenly I heard my name.”

Hikmat recalled registering online and believing, at first, that he had been selected.“I received a message and thought I had been chosen. Then I realized there would be a draw. I never expected my name to be called.”

He attended the draw alone, without any expectations, until he heard his name announced as the seventh groom.“I couldn't stand up... I checked more than once to make sure it was really my name.”

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