6,000 people participate in the largest virtual sign language lesson in Dubai

The Community Development Authority achieved a notable global achievement through the “Dubai Communicates with Sign Language” campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Protection of the Rights of People of Determination, by organizing the largest lesson for learning Emirati sign language in the world, which witnessed exceptional participation of more than 6,000 people.

This qualitative achievement comes as a culmination of Dubai’s humanitarian vision and the goals of the Dubai Social Agenda 33, which places community cohesion and quality of life at the core of its priorities, and consolidates the emirate’s position as a leading global model in empowering people of determination and building an inclusive and sustainable society.

The event witnessed exceptional and unprecedented participation from government and private sector employees and community members, both citizens and residents, in addition to extensive virtual participation over the Internet, which reflected the true depth of Dubai’s humanitarian mission. The event brought together participants from different nationalities and backgrounds within the country, who came together in an inspiring moment to learn the basics of Emirati Sign Language, embodying the broad societal response and growing awareness of the importance of inclusion and shared responsibility in building a cohesive and comprehensive society.

The event was characterized by strong strategic cooperation, bringing together a number of leading government and private entities, including the Executive Council, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Roads and Transport Authority, and Dubai Health Authority, in addition to educational institutions and the private sector. This comprehensive cooperation reflected the shared commitment to achieving the message of community inclusion and solidarity.

On this occasion, Director General of the Community Development Authority in Dubai, Hessa bint Issa Buhumaid, said: “We celebrate Dubai’s inspiring spirit of making the impossible possible. This achievement is the result of the combined efforts of thousands of participants from various sectors who showed a true passion for learning sign language and building real bridges of communication. I extend my thanks to everyone who participated and contributed to this success, which confirms that Dubai is continuing to consolidate its position as the most inclusive city in the world and supportive of people of determination.”

She added: “This global breakthrough is just the beginning of a long process of continuous development and improvement. We will continue to work hard, through the (Dubai Communicates with Sign Language) initiative, to ensure that sign language is an integral part of the fabric of our society, and that every individual has the opportunity to communicate effectively and with dignity. We believe that investing in people is the highest type of investment, and this achievement reflects our firm commitment to building a bright future in which no one is left behind.”

The “Dubai Communicates with Sign Language” campaign represented an exceptional opportunity to spread awareness of the importance of the Emirati Sign Language, and its role in empowering the deaf community and people of determination with hearing disabilities. The unified lesson aims to build real and effective bridges of communication between all members of society, and to enhance the values of diversity and mutual respect, by introducing the basics of the Emirati Sign Language, as an integral part of the culture of the Deaf community and its human heritage. This initiative confirms that the sign language is an integrated language, carrying in It contains cultural and human values, and conveys meanings and ideas clearly and accurately, through visual language that contributes to enhancing mutual understanding and meaningful communication between individuals.

The ambitious initiative aims to make Dubai one of the world’s leading cities in employing sign language, through an integrated system of advanced smart and digital services. The initiative includes a comprehensive series of training and awareness programs directed at various segments of society, developing advanced smart technologies for simultaneous interpretation, and training government and private agency employees on the basics of Emirati sign language, ensuring facilitation of people of determination with hearing disabilities accessing services with ease, ease and dignity. The initiative also focuses on transforming sign language into one of the daily means of interaction in vital facilities, which confirms Dubai’s leadership in launching services. The quality that supports people of determination.

The event succeeded in setting a new world record in the Guinness Book of Records, with the exceptional participation of more than 6,000 people. With this distinguished achievement, Dubai exceeds the previous record that was recorded in India in 2017, with the participation of 1,442 people, reaffirming its global leadership in launching influential and sustainable humanitarian initiatives that put people at the forefront and reflect the values ​​of togetherness and inclusion.

Representatives of government agencies and a number of community members who participated in the “Dubai Communicates with Sign Language” initiative, organized by the Community Development Authority, confirmed yesterday that the initiative constitutes an effective bridge of communication between community members and people of determination with hearing disabilities, and contributes to enhancing community integration and facilitating their access to government services, which reflects positively on their quality of life and well-being.

Captain Shahrban Al Zarouni from the Dubai Police General Headquarters said that learning sign language enhances the quality of services provided to people of determination from an administrative and criminal standpoint, noting that police cadres are trained on all the vocabulary and signs in the Emirati sign language dictionary.

The Dubai Police sign language trainer and translator, Sergeant Yahya Al Amari, one of the first translators on the administrative and criminal sides, said that the Dubai Police trained 120 of its employees within a specialized program to teach sign language, as the first batch graduated in 2018, and the program is still continuing today.

For her part, senior administrative officer at the Dubai Health Authority, Mahra Al Shaiba, confirmed that the authority implemented the first library for the psychological well-being of people of determination, by providing brochures in Braille and sign language, during the International Expo for People of Determination 2025, in support of the concepts of community integration and quality of life.

The health educator in the Health Promotion and Education Department at the Dubai Health Authority, Hind Buamim, also stressed the importance of learning sign language for those working in the field of health education, as this improves the experience of people with hearing disabilities, explaining that the authority seeks to provide awareness materials in sign language, and previously provided the same materials in Braille intended for people of determination with visual disabilities, which enhances the empowerment of community members.

The Director of Construction and Inspection in the Engineering Sector at Trakhees at the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, Ali Al Budawi, said that learning sign language will enhance the experience of deaf customers and support the speed of completing their transactions.

As for the student, Ahmed Amiri (16 years old), from Al Mawakeb School in Al Barsha, he stressed the importance of school students learning sign language, pointing out that his deaf colleagues were the motivation behind his passion for learning it, in order to communicate with them better and understand their thoughts and feelings. He said: “We in Dubai do not only speak in words, but rather we speak in the language of inclusion to every heart in the Emirates.”

The mother, Suhaila Al Ketbi, indicated that the initiative contributes to raising awareness and educating senior citizens on how to deal with the deaf group, and strengthens bridges of communication between different generations. She pointed out the ease of learning Emirati sign language during the virtual lesson, which added a new skill to them that enhances their role in society.

The mother, Aisha Al Falasi, explained that the initiative provided a unique opportunity for senior citizens to learn sign language for the first time, noting that this enhances the concept of societal integration for people of determination, and is in line with the directions of the Emirate of Dubai to achieve an inclusive society friendly to people of determination.

Buhumaid’s share:

• We will continue to work through the “Initiative” to ensure that sign language is an integral part of the fabric of our society.