JEDDAH, 6 December 2005 — The corporate sector made a new move yesterday to unite the community in support of orphan welfare across Saudi Arabia.
A global leader in mobile communications has brought together the Kingdom’s top artists for a fonetography auction to raise money to support the Charitable Society for Orphan Welfare of Makkah, an organization helping to improve the lives, education and health of orphans in the Kingdom.
“The artists used Nokia N90 multimedia devices with Carl Zeiss optics and a 2 megapixel camera to take pictures that will be auctioned by Christie’s, with proceeds going to help the cause,” Talal Eid, Dubai-based Nokia communications manager for the Middle East & North Africa, told a press conference at the Westin Hotel.
The artists were given full range to explore their artistic muses through any theme or subject, with the resulting photographs forming a rich tapestry of images capturing the spirit of the Kingdom, as well as scenery encountered during their travels to other countries.
The photographs were printed by HP on its DesignJet 90 printer and offered for auction by Christie’s, in an event organized by Mixed Media, publishers of Canvas magazine.
The auction for ladies is being held at the Jeddah Hilton tomorrow (Dec. 7). Thirty of the best pieces of artwork from 10 artists will be auctioned.
Participating artists in the charity event include Reem Al-Faisal, Haifa Mansour Bandar Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Alaa Al-Amoudi, Fahad Bafakih, Madeha Al-Ajroush, Manal Al-Dowayan, Sahl Kurdi, Salman Alireza, Serene Ghazzawi, and Susan Baaghil.
“They utilized the full power of Nokia’s N90, which features Carl Zeiss optics and a full set of advanced digital camera features. They proved the promise of its 2 megapixel camera and used the integrated flash, macro mode for sharp close-ups, and high quality video capture with on-phone editing capabilities to create a collage of masterpieces,” Eid added.
All photographs were then printed on the HP DesignJet 90 printer that delivers final images of professional quality. “HP DesignJet printers are engineered with a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, color management system that controls color quality and consistency from the screen to the first printout in any size up to A2,” an HP executive said.
“We’re extremely grateful for the support of these individuals who have given so much of their time to help the less fortunate children,” Hanan Al-Nowaisser of the Charitable Society for Orphan Welfare of Makkah, said. The auction proceeds, expected to be around SR500,000, are earmarked for the society’s Taif branch, which opened in 2000. Nokia held similar charity auctions in Dubai and Kuwait, which netted SR300,000.
“Orphaned children start life at a severely disadvantaged position, not having the required support and guidance that would normally be provided by their biological parents. The charitable society ensures that they receive a strong upbringing by helping to raise their cultural, social and conduct levels while bringing them out of isolation and eliminating any feelings of inferiority they may harbor. We thank all the corporate participants and artists for making this unique event a reality and helping raise the profile or orphans in the Kingdom,” Eid said.
“Nokia is pleased, not only to be able to promote this creative endeavor that encourages the Kingdom’s art scene, but also to support a local group involved in helping improve the lives of orphaned children living in our community,” Eid said. “Through this event, we capture the heart of the imaging promise — capture on the N90, print with HP, and share through Christie’s. We also bring to life the Nseries message ‘Do more’ in terms of photography but also in helping the community,” he added.