Strategic dialogues at annual meetings discuss systems and policies that support the Emirati family
Abu Dhabi, 6 November / WAM / The annual meetings of the UAE Government 2025 witnessed the holding of a series of dialogue sessions within the “Pulse of the Nation” space, which formed an interactive national platform that brought together officials of the federal and local authorities concerned with the family file, to discuss the systems and policies that support the Emirati family and ensure its sustainability as a pillar of comprehensive national development.
The sessions, which were attended by Her Excellency Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family, addressed several main topics, including: family formation, balance between work and family, infrastructure supporting the family, family sustainability, reproductive health, social support system for families, and policies supporting family growth.
The “Pulse of the Nation” space, within the annual meetings of the UAE government 2025, offers an interactive experience designed to deepen common understanding of Emirati family issues, and enhance integration between national efforts aimed at supporting and growing it.
The “Pulse of the Nation” space aims to bring together an elite group of leaders and decision-makers from various sectors, in an environment of integration and joint national action, to cooperate through specialized sessions that contribute to enhancing the stability and growth of the Emirati family, and consolidating its position as a fundamental hub in the prosperity of society and the progress of the nation.
Her Excellency Sanaa bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of the Family, said: “The family constitutes the nucleus of society and the beating heart of the nation’s progress and prosperity. Accordingly, we have allocated the ‘Pulse of the Nation’ space as a pioneering interactive experience that embodies the UAE’s vision of building a deep governmental and societal awareness of family issues, and enhancing integration between national efforts aimed at supporting it, its development, and its stability. The Emirati family is the pillar upon which the entity and prosperity of society is based. The state’s investment in it is an investment in the future of the nation and its sustainability. Through the qualitative initiatives the state provides to build cohesive families, empower youth, support working women, and achieve a balance between the requirements of life and work, the keenness of the wise leadership to establish the foundations of sustainable development and community stability is evident.”
Her Excellency added: “The sessions highlighted the importance of empowering young people to establish stable families, and creating a social and economic environment that encourages responsible early marriage, in addition to strengthening policies that support working women and achieving a balance between their family and professional duties. The state continues to provide exceptional care for the family within a comprehensive system that includes financial, health and social support, in a way that enhances its capabilities to face challenges and build strong bonds between its members. Empowering the family, youth and women is A direct investment in mankind, and the essence of the national vision that made man the basis of renaissance and the focus of development.”
Participants in the sessions stressed that the UAE pays exceptional attention to the family, based on the firm belief that strong societies begin with stable and cohesive families, noting that the state is working to develop comprehensive policies and strategies aimed at supporting the formation and growth of families, providing a supportive environment for spouses and children, and strengthening family ties through social programs and various services that meet the needs of the family at all its stages.
Participants in the “Family Formation” session discussed ways to enhance youth empowerment and encourage them to marry wisely and establish stable families, stressing that investing in the family is an investment in the future of the nation, and that the family is the foundation of society and the pillar of its social and national stability.
They stressed that supporting young people in forming a stable family is a joint responsibility shared by the government and society together, noting that providing financial support for establishing families must be seen as a strategic investment in the social development of the state.
The participants in the session stressed the importance of enhancing awareness and guidance before marriage as crucial elements in the sustainability of the marital relationship, with the need to begin this awareness at early stages of life.
They pointed out the importance of creating supportive conditions that encourage Emirati youth to consciously enter into marriage and build a stable and sustainable marital life, stressing that reshaping young people’s thinking towards early marriage requires a deeper understanding of the challenges they face, in addition to developing supportive economic and social policies.
They stressed the need to strengthen initiatives aimed at encouraging marriage and increasing awareness of the concept of establishing a cohesive and stable family, in addition to motivating more parties to support young people and their aspirations for marriage by contributing to bearing some of the costs of marriage and relieving their burdens.
As for the “Family Growth – Balance between Work and Family” session, it focused on enabling families and parents to manage their family and professional responsibilities in a way that ensures their stability. It also highlighted the importance of supporting the balance between work requirements and family responsibilities as one of the basic factors for the sustainability of the family and society, indicating that this balance is no longer a luxury, but rather has become a necessity to ensure the stability of families and quality of life.
Participants in the session stressed that current policies need to be updated to keep pace with the requirements of modern family life, in light of the accelerating pace of work, pointing out the importance of adopting a more flexible approach in the work environment that takes into account the needs of fathers and mothers and enables them to perform their family roles optimally.
They stated that investing in achieving this balance is an investment in psychological health, productivity, and the stability of families and future generations.
Family support infrastructure
In the “Family Growth – Infrastructure” session, the participants discussed the impact of urban planning and the quality of infrastructure on the stability of families and their ability to grow and expand, stressing that cities whose design do not take into account the needs of large families restrict their options and limit their opportunities for growth and sustainability.
The speakers pointed out that providing affordable housing, comprehensive service facilities for all family members, and urban designs suitable for large families represent one of the basic components to support the growth and empowerment of the Emirati family.
Participants also stressed the importance of designing infrastructure to suit the needs of large families and pregnant women.
The “Family Sustainability” session discussed the importance of enabling new couples to overcome the first challenges with confidence, and providing more programs to strengthen family ties and reduce divorce cases.
Participants in the session stressed that strengthening family ties constitutes a major factor in enhancing community cohesion and stability, stressing at the same time that divorce should be the last solution and not a quick option.
The attendees pointed out the importance of maintaining a positive and healthy relationship between spouses after divorce, in a way that ensures the interests of children and grandchildren.
The session also discussed ways to support building cohesive families and providing comprehensive care for all their members, through developing supportive programs and services that meet the needs of the family at its various stages.
The participants in the “Reproductive Health” session explained that reproductive health is an essential pillar for the sustainability of the family and society, and requires the development of comprehensive policies that guarantee all individuals’ access to basic examinations and services related to reproductive health.
They stressed that awareness in this field contributes to making more informed family decisions, stressing the importance of enhancing the role of scientific research and cooperation with universities in developing evidence-based policies that support maternal and child health.
The session also discussed ways to develop a comprehensive approach to reproductive health that ensures that couples are empowered and supported in forming a stable family and growing it in a healthy and sustainable manner.
The “Policies Supporting Family Growth” session discussed a proposal to review maternity leave for women working in the private sector in the country, taking into account the balance between the requirements of strengthening the role of the family and empowering working women, and maintaining business sustainability and competitiveness of companies, which contributes to building a comprehensive system that enhances the stability of the Emirati family and empowers working women through policies that support work-life balance.
The “Social Support System for Families” session witnessed a national dialogue that brought together federal and local agencies concerned with social protection, to review the contribution of support programs in empowering the most needy groups, and enhancing the integration of roles between agencies to ensure the stability of families and the protection of their members.
The session aimed to highlight the role of the social support system at the federal and local levels in enhancing family stability, and to discuss ways to support those recovering from addiction and those released from penal and correctional institutions. The session also discussed developing practical steps and follow-up mechanisms to measure the impact of support programs on family stability and enhancing community cohesion, and developing effective case management mechanisms that ensure an integrated and rapid response to the needs of the target groups.
His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, participated in a youth session entitled “The Voice of Youth in Building the Modern Emirati Family,” within the “Pulse of the Nation” space.
During the session, His Excellency stressed that empowering young people in the process of building the Emirati family is an essential pillar in achieving the country’s vision towards a cohesive and stable society, indicating that the current stage requires investing in digital solutions and emerging technologies to support young people and enable them to form happy and sustainable families.
His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi highlighted the challenges faced by young people in forming an Emirati family, calling for enhancing participatory work between government agencies to develop a supportive national digital system that allows young people to easily access services and resources that help them start their family life with confidence and stability.
His Excellency also pointed out the importance of listening to the visions and aspirations of young people in designing solutions and policies that enhance the quality of family life, stressing that the voice of youth is an essential element in shaping the future of the modern Emirati family, in line with the country’s aspirations towards sustainable social development.
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