Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), with the help of Hertz UAE, is using the Dubai Shopping Festival to raise awareness of the plight of refugees worldwide.
The independent humanitarian aid agency has built a "model" refugee camp at the Global Village during the festival "Our goal is to show people the basic needs in a refugee camp and to demonstrate how we work to meet these needs," said Charlotte Bohot, communications manager at MSF's local branch in the UAE. "Our volunteers, including several who have worked in refugee camps, lead visitors through the exhibit, explaining how survival is organised in an emergency situation." Founded in 1995, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mabarak Al Nahayan, the organisation's branch in the UAE aims to raise funds for MSF's global missions, and to increase public awareness of the medical humanitarian crises around the world. "We are glad to be able to support Médecins Sans Frontières and we hope that their exhibit at the Global Village will have positive benefits," said Bob Farrow, general manager of Hertz UAE, the transportation sponsor of the MSF exhibit. MSF, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999, provides medical assistance to populations affected by armed conflicts or natural disasters. It also helps refugees and people in areas where medical infrastructure is not available. With offices in 18 countries, MSF has missions all over the globe, including those in Afghanistan, Palestine, Somalia, and Angola. Meanwhile, Al- Futtaim Sons, Hertz franchisee for the UAE and part of Al- Futtaim Group - a Key sponsor of the Dubai Shopping Festival - is offering 25 per cent off all car rentals as well as free car upgrades in Dubai throughout the DSF. All cars are fully insured and undergo a 40-point quality check-up by Hertz mechanics prior to rentals, which come with $1 million third party insurance coverage. Hertz operates from approximately 7,000 locations in more than 150 countries. In the Middle East, Hertz is represented by franchise operations in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE and Yemen and by general sales agents in Saudi and Bahrain.