21-05-2025
- Business
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
L'ÉCOLE Middle East Donates To Dubai Cares To Support Youth Skilling Programs
The prestigious jewellery school hopes to empower youngsters through education, offering technical and vocational training
L'ÉCOLE Middle East, School of Jewellrey Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, has donated over Dhs 717,000 to Dubai Cares in support of global youth skilling programs. The full amount, raised during the school's first year of operations in Dubai, stems from 100% of proceeds collected from public courses, talks, and private events, including its Ramadan 'Book One. Give One' initiative.
L'ÉCOLE, established in 2012 with the backing of Van Cleef & Arpels, aims to make the world of jewellery arts accessible to all through educational programs, workshops, exhibitions, and cultural events. Its Dubai campus, launched in April 2024 at Dubai Design District (d3), marks its first permanent presence in the Middle East, joining existing campuses in Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. All proceeds from L'ÉCOLE Middle East's public courses and talks are pledged to Dubai Cares in a longstanding partnership to empower youth through education.
Dubai Cares, part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, is a UAE-based philanthropic organisation that has supported over 116 million beneficiaries in 60 developing countries since 2007. The organisation champions access to quality education, especially through technical and vocational education and training (TVET), equipping young people with the tools needed to succeed in an ever-changing world.
The Dhs 717,720 donation will go toward Dubai Cares' global youth skilling programs, which in 2024 alone reached over 1.25 million young people, nearly half of them girls, offering certified training and vocational education to unlock long-term opportunities and impact.
To mark the milestone, Alessandro Maffi, President of Van Cleef & Arpels MEIAT, presented a cheque to His Excellency Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, CEO and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares. 'As 2025 is the Year of Community, I am proud to witness the positive impact that L'ÉCOLE Middle East is creating,' Maffi said. 'This initiative is about giving today's youth the chance to grow, learn, and leave behind a legacy for future generations.'
'Education is at the heart of everything we do at L'ÉCOLE,' added Sophie Claudel, Director of L'ÉCOLE Middle East. 'Through this partnership, we are extending the reach of jewelry arts beyond creativity — into real-world impact for youth around the globe.'
