Brief account of my 28^th Wedding Anniversary

My 28^th Wedding Anniversary was on 29^th June, 2013 and I, as per my lifelong matrimonial promise, stayed in Room 306, Crowne Plaza (formerly Holiday Inn), Kuwait for 28^th consecutive year in the room to mark my wedding day.

 The day proceedings started when I along with my wife Shireen entered the hotel using its revolving door which was filmed by Al Sabah TV (Arabic channel) crew which was already in attendance. Guest Relations Manager of the hotel presented a flowers bouquet to Shireen before we proceeded to Reception to report our check in and we were given two keys for Room 306 but this time CP decided that formal check-in activity be conducted in the room itself. We boarded the lift and got off at 3^rd floor where very impressive ceremony had been planned which was a good surprise for both of us. Last year CP had placed a notice board at Room 306 reading, ‘Room 306 has been occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Iqbal Zaidi on 29^th June of every year since 1986 on their Wedding Anniversary’ and this year on the same board they had stuck my and Shireen photos taken in the room on our 25^th, 26^th and 27^th Wedding Anniversaries and covered it with a white curtain. We both jointly pulled the string to take off the covering curtain; Al Sabah TV has covered the opening ceremony. TV crew had entered the room before we entered hence we were filmed while entering the room. We both were interviewed in the room and the film was aired same evening in news bulletin.

 H. E. Dr. Ahmad Nasir Muhammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah (son of H. H. Sheikh Nasir Muhammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah, former Prime Minister), Director, Office of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs sent flowers to my room greeting on the day. H. E. Senator Haruna Garba, Ambassador of Nigeria + H. E. Douglas George, Ambassador of Canada + H. E. Tairou Aboudou Kabassi, Ambassador of Benin + H. E. Mamadou Bello, Ambassador of Central African Republic + H. E. Issifou Alaka, Charge d’Affaires a.i of Togo greeted me in the room. Mr. Mohammad Ghareeb Hatem, Consultant, Equate and Mr. Fayes, Mayor Salva wished me in the room. H. E. Nasser Bareh Al Enezi, Kuwait Ambassador accredited to Indonesia phoned me from Sweden where he is vacationing with his family. H. E. Said Akbar Afridi and H. E. Zafar Sheikh former Pakistani Ambassadors greeted me from Islamabad and Karachi. Many others hailing from different countries greeted me on the day. H. E.  Pengrian Mustafa Aliuddin, Ambassador of Brunei Darrussalam and H. E. Yahia Abdelgalil Mahmoud, Ambassador of Sudan had promised but regretted a day before because of some official obligations. H. E. Dr. M. A. Odeen Ishamael, Ambassador of Guyana greeted me before flying out back home of official trip. H. E. Dato Adnan Haji Othman, Ambassador of Malaysia greeted me on since he was flying to London in 3^rd week on short vacation.  H. E. Frank M. Mann, Ambassador of Germany greeted me before his return to Germany on completion of his diplomatic term. H. E. Mathew H. Tueller, Ambassador of America was out of the country. H. E. Rami Tahboub, Ambassador of Palestine confirmed his attendance on 28^th but did not turn up. Dr. Usameh Fazel Jamali, Advisot to Chairman, Australian College of Kuwait regretted on health grounds. Maj Gen ® Jassim Ali Al Mansoori, former DG Kuwait Fire Services promised but did not visit. Mr. Andrii Melnychenko, Counsellor of Ukraine greeted me from overseas.

 Crowne Plaza has put up, as always, two roll up stands in hotel lobby with message pad for people to read my matrimonial history and pen their remarks. Many people, mostly westerners staying in the hotel were too pleased to meet me and shared some pleasantries for a while. Hotel has also erected a big size banner in the room, made a commemorative cake. We, as each year, left the room on 30^th June around 1500 hours.

Arab Times on 30^th captioned, ‘Couple marks 28^th Wedding Anniversary. Pakistani couple keeps unique, unprecedented matrimonial promise’.

 Al Nahar, Arabic daily covered the event and flashed ¼ page story on 2^nd July, 2013 titled, ‘Iqbal Zaidi celebrates 28^th Wedding Anniversary at Crowne Plaza hotel.’