Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
At its heart, the UAE’s Year of Family is a promise of reassurance to households nationwide. It brings a national vision into everyday life, reminding families that they are not alone —and that support from trusted institutions is within reach long before challenges grow into crises, national experts told Aletihad.
Two specialists from the UAE’s National Experts Programme (NEP) shared insights into how the Year of Family is translating strategic policies into meaningful, lived support for Emirati households.
Asma Al Azri, Executive Director of the Family Cases Sector at the Family Care Authority, described the initiative as a shift towards earlier, more compassionate engagement with families, one that prioritises trust, dignity, and continuity of care.
The Year of Family, she said, reinforces reassurance as a cornerstone of family policy, grounded in the belief that cohesion is strongest when households feel supported.
“Stability grows when families know support is accessible, respectful, and timely,” said Al Azri, a specialist from NEP’s community development and social services sector.
Talal Faris, Vulnerable Groups Division Manager at the Department of Community Development, said the initiative signals a move away from reactive responses and towards long-term prevention.
This approach, he explained, is reflected in the Year of Family’s focus on strengthening practical support systems, from early childhood programmes and parental guidance to coordinated social services that address family needs holistically.
Initiatives that ease day-to-day living are often the ones that matter most, he stressed.
“Strong families are not built during moments of difficulty. They are built through everyday support that reduces pressure before it becomes overwhelming,” said Faris, also a specialist from NEP’s community development and social services sector.
By aligning efforts across education, health, housing and social development, he added, families benefit from a coordinated support system designed to guide and uplift them at every stage of life.
Both experts said helping families achieve and maintain balance is a central focus of the Year of Family, particularly at a time of evolving work patterns and shifting social expectations.
Al Azri noted that wellbeing and productivity are no longer viewed as competing priorities in the UAE. Flexible work models, mental health initiatives and family-friendly policies are increasingly recognised as essential to sustainable workplaces.
“When families are supported, wellbeing improves — and that benefits society as a whole, including the workplace,” she said.
Turning the idea of balance into a lived reality, however, depends on how well policies work together, Faris said.
Families experience life as a whole, he explained, and policies must reflect that reality by working together rather than creating competing demands.
Long-Term Impact
Both experts see the impact of Year of Family initiatives extending well beyond 2026, particularly through early and sustained investment in childhood development and family wellbeing.
Faris pointed to programmes that support parents and children during early developmental stages, noting that early intervention plays a decisive role in shaping educational, health and social outcomes later in life.
Al Azri added that initiatives that strengthen family relationships and intergenerational bonds are equally vital, ensuring that values, emotional resilience and a sense of belonging are passed from one generation to the next.
Ultimately, the experts agreed, success will not be measured by the number of initiatives launched during the Year of Family, but by what endures after it concludes.
The experts agreed that success will not be defined by the number of initiatives launched during the Year of the Family, but by what remains after it concludes.
“Long-term impact is not only measured in outcomes,” Al Azri said. “It is reflected in confident parents raising confident children.”
