In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Noor Dubai, a charity drive established by the United Arab Emirates to deliver eye health services to more than 1 million people worldwide, formally honored officials of its two international partners - ORBIS International and Lions Club International - at a high profile event September 10 in Dubai.

ORBIS Executive Director and CEO Geoffrey Holland presents His Highness Sheikh Majid with a model of the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital.

The gathering was attended by His Excellency Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, director general of Dubai Health Authority; Peter Lynch, executive director, Lions Club International; Geoffrey Holland, executive director and CEO of ORBIS International; and Dr. Martin Lederman, doctor of pediatric ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, as well as a number of senior government and non-government officials.

Following the reception, guests led by His Highness Sheikh Majid toured the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital, which landed at the Dubai International Airport earlier this week and will help launch the Noor Dubai educational component on Thursday, 11 September.

Speakers at the event applauded the humanitarian endeavour of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, for launching the Noor Dubai initiative and pledged their unwavering support to his vision of a world free from preventable forms of blindness.

Geoffrey Holland, executive director and CEO of ORBIS International, said, "ORBIS wholeheartedly supports the Noor Dubai initiative in their mission to treat and prevent blindness by strengthening the capacity of local eye health partners. The ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital is available to work in all countries, and our experience in delivering long-term, sustainable blindness prevention projects is fully at the disposal of the Noor Dubai program."

Dubai Health Authority is responsible for implementing the Noor Dubai agenda in collaboration with ORBIS and Lions Clubs International.

Featuring therapeutic, preventive and education programs, Noor Dubai aims to treat and prevent blindness and visual impairment in the UAE and developing countries on a regional and international scale.

Launched on September 3 as part of the UAE's committment to the goals outlined in the global initiative 'VISION 2020: The Right to Sight', Noor Dubai plans to offer assistance to the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Mali, Sri Lanka, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine as well as the UAE.