Heavy traffic expected and schools to finish early as Abu Dhabi hosts mass weddings on Wednesday and Thursday

Heavy traffic is expected from Wednesday lunchtime as Abu Dhabi hosts a mass wedding to celebrate a dozen couples tying the knot. Some schools are sending children home at noon, according to notices from teachers. The Crown Prince Court-sponsored weddings – 12 couples in all – are taking place at Al Bateen Majlis at 4pm. The court often sponsors weddings to reduce the costs, continuing the work of the Founding President Sheikh Zayed, who urged families to celebrate modestly and to curb excessive spending on feasts and venues. Reach British School and Brighton College are among those who gave parents the option to collect children at noon. Following the Bateen wedding on Wednesday, a further 20 couples will be married at Al Manhal Majlis near Sheikh Zayed Medical City. Mass weddings – usually held in the winter months – are often attended by the ruler of that emirate and even the country's leaders. In March, 175 couples were married in Ras Al Khaimah in one of the largest events in recent years. It was attended by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah , who sponsored the wedding. ________________ Read more: Keep dowries and wedding costs down, couples urged

Heavy traffic expected and schools to finish early as Abu Dhabi hosts mass weddings on Wednesday and Thursday

School buses and parents are taking children home at lunchtime in some areas as the capital celebrates two major events