A guest at a Dubai charity auction held at the Burj Khalifa paid $55,000 for the chance to walk the red carpet and meet Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson at the after party for the US premiere of her forthcoming movie 'Captain American 2'.
The Armani Hotel in Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world tallest building, played host to a host of film stars and charity bidders as the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) staged its annual 'One Night to Change Lives' gala fundraiser, which was in aid of UAE-based philanthropic organization Dubai Cares and the Oxfam global development and aid agency.
Apart from the chance to meet and greet American actress Scarlett Johansson, the James Bond-themed event also auctioned off a customised Aston Martin Vanquish, which sold for $430,000, while a Clapperboard from the Bond movie Skyfall, signed by actor Daniel Craig, sold for $25,000.
A bevy of international stars, led by Avengers star Mark Ruffalo, Rooney Mara, 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' star Naomie Harris and Bond girl Maryam D'Abo turned up to support the charity event.
All proceeds from last night went to Dubai Cares and Oxfam to support their work responding to the current crisis in Syria.
In advance of the auction, Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring said: "The money raised will make a real difference in bolstering Oxfam's response to the deepening crisis in Syria. To date, Oxfam has helped more than 220,000 people and we are continuing to expand our response to meet increasing needs but more vital funds are desperately needed.".
Scarlett Johansson, an Oxfam Global Ambassador, added: "I'm thrilled to offer this fantastic prize for the auction. I hope it raises as much money as possible for Oxfam and Dubai Cares to help in their work fighting poverty around the world.".
Over the last two years the charity event has raised over $2m dollars for worthy causes and has been supported by a plethora of global stars from the world of cinema including Colin Firth and his wife Livia, Kristin Davis, Rooney Mara, Amr Waked, Freida Pinto, Ronan Keating, Helena Christiansen and Rahul Bose.
