Al Jalila Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation dedicated to transforming lives through medical education and research, will be hosting a charity concert on 22 March 2018 at Dubai Opera to celebrate its 5th anniversary.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for the first time in the region, and for one night only, physicians from around the world will exchange their white coats for evening attire to perform in a charity concert in Dubai to support medical research. The World Doctors Orchestra, the only orchestra in the world to be made up of solely of doctors, comprises physicians from more than 50 nations who have played in venues in all four corners of the world from Salzburg to Seattle to South Africa since 2007.

Classical music fans can look forward to an exceptional evening of some of the best music written by Ludwig van Beethoven and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The program also features the world premiere of ‘Positive Spirit’ inspired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid’s poem and composed by Jonathan Barret staring violinist Klaudia Olborska-Szymańska.

Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, Chief Executive Officer, Al Jalila Foundation, said: “On the occasion of Al Jalila Foundation’s 5th anniversary we are proud to present the World Doctors Orchestra to perform a one of a kind charity concert to support medical research. The doctors come from all over the world and for one night only they generously trade in their stethoscopes for musical instruments and in unity they create an awe-inspiring symphony to spread goodwill. The harmony of medicine and music is a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary and the near completion of our research centre which promises to be a beacon of hope in the region.”

The World Doctors Orchestra is an independent non-profit organisation founded in 2007 and combines the pleasure of fine music with global medical responsibility. The founder and conductor of the World Doctors Orchestra is Stefan Willich, Professor in Medicine at the Charité University Medical Center in Berlin and former President of the Berlin Music Conservatory Hanns Eisler.

Stefan Willich said: “The World Doctors Orchestra is proud to present the charity concert in Dubai to support Al Jalila Foundation and its efforts to advance medical research. It will be the first time we perform in the gulf and we look forward to showcasing our orchestra to the UAE community and meeting the medical fraternity during our first visit to this exciting region.”

Tickets range from AED 250 to AED 950 and go on sale tomorrow on www.dubaiopera.com. All proceeds of the 24th World Doctors Orchestra charity concert will support Al Jalila Foundation healthcare programs.

Al Jalila Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation dedicated to transforming lives through medical education and research, has signed an agreement with The Little Wings Foundation to provide medical assistance to children with musculoskeletal deformities in the Middle East and North Africa.

Many children throughout the region face hardship due to poverty and conflict and survival depends largely on their physical integrity. Those born with limb deformities are often unable to access treatment that could free them from their physical disability to pursue a life without restriction. Through the partnership Al Jalila Foundation and The Little Wings Foundation will provide surgeries and medical aid to the most vulnerable children in the region.

Dr Abdulkareem Al Olama, Chief Executive Officer of Al Jalila Foundation, commented: “Since inception, Al Jalila Foundation has been providing children in the UAE with life changing prosthetics, specialised wheelchairs and the necessary medical procedures to empower those with limb deformities and mobility challenges. We are excited that through our partnership with The Little Wings Foundation we are able to extend our outreach further and offer life transforming care and hope to young patients beyond the UAE.”

The Little Wings Foundation was founded in 2007 by Dr Marc Sinclair, one of the region’s prominent paediatric orthopaedic surgeons, with the mission to provide medical assistance to children who have musculoskeletal deformities in the Middle East and North Africa. The Little Wings Foundation is run by volunteers devoting their expertise and time to give back children the freedom they ‘lost’ because of physical, economic and perceived social barriers.

Dr Marc Sinclair, Founder of The Little Wings Foundation, commented: “Our partnership with Al Jalila Foundation will contribute largely to bringing orthopaedic care to children suffering from congenital and trauma related injuries in the region. Physical disability is a recognised major barrier to education, social integration and independence leading to poverty and isolation. Removing these barriers by treatment and education unfolds the childs’ individual potential, strengthens their community and sets new horizons.”

According to medical experts it is estimated that 1 in 500 children is born with congenital limb deformities in the region. Since 2007 The Little Wings Foundation has provided vital medical intervention to thousands of children around the world offering them a better life. The partnership with Al Jalila Foundation will further boost the international outreach efforts to transform the lives of those who need it most.