DUBAI: Tamer Hosny, the Arab heartthrob who is slated to perform on Friday as part of Shopping Festival 2009, has announced that he will donate his concert fee to the people affected in the ongoing Gaza conflict.

As a mark of solidarity with the people of Gaza, the launch ceremony planned for the DSF 2009 has been cancelled. It follows the directives issued by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, who cancelled all the outdoor celebrations of New Year’s Eve.

Dubai Municipality said that it will organize a charity drive today and tomorrow to help the children affected by Israeli aggression.

The charity drive under the slogan “Children in Gaza Are Our Children” aims to collect donations from people in Dubai to provide assistance to Palestinian children as directed by the crown prince, said the director of institutional marketing and public relations at Dubai Municipality, Khalid Mohammed Badri.

Sharjah Charity Association (SCA) has also started a relief drive and the Red Crescent Authority in Sharjah has began a blood donation campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

Umm Al-Qaiwain is also joining the effort. Sheikh Saud bin Rashid, ruler of Umm Al-Qaiwain, has said that all the mosques in Gaza that have been damaged by Israel will be renovated and reequipped at his personal expense.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, UAE deputy prime minister and chairman of the Foreign Aid Coordination Office, has said that the UAE will continue the delivery of urgent aid to the besieged Palestinian people in coordination with regional and international aid agencies. “The UAE has been at the forefront of countries working tirelessly to ameliorate the suffering of the Palestinian people. This effort will continue unabated as directed by President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum,” said Sheikh Hamdan at a donors’ conference in Abu Dhabi.