Dubai Convenes Forum to Amplify Voices of Senior Citizens in Shaping Social Services

The Community Development Authority gathers experts, government partners and older residents to reimagine how society supports its most experienced members, turning their wisdom into actionable policy.

On 12th November, Dubai’s Community Development Authority will convene the inaugural Social Services Equity Forum, a gathering designed to reshape how the city thinks about serving its senior population. Titled “Senior Citizens: Pioneers of Values and Partners in Development”, the forum represents a philosophical shift: from viewing older residents as recipients of care to recognising them as essential architects of the social systems that affect their lives.

The initiative emerges from Dubai’s commitment to building an integrated and inclusive social ecosystem, one that draws deliberately on the accumulated knowledge and lived experience of its oldest citizens. By creating space for intergenerational dialogue, the forum seeks to strengthen community cohesion whilst advancing the objectives of Dubai Social Agenda 33, the emirate’s blueprint for social progress.

Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Director-General of the Community Development Authority, frames the forum as emblematic of a deeper principle. “Developing social services for senior citizens reflects Dubai’s approach to creating an integrated social ecosystem that places people at the centre of development,” she explained, emphasising the importance of moving beyond traditional support models towards genuine empowerment. She underscored that older residents should participate actively in designing and developing the services and initiatives that enhance their wellbeing and their role in society.

The forum’s programme spans specialised sessions addressing community participation among senior citizens, practical ways to benefit from their knowledge and life experiences, and international models supporting independence and quality of life. International experts and specialists from the United States, Spain and Japan will contribute their perspectives, enriching the dialogue with global insights. As the city has demonstrated through its commitment to integrated services across vulnerable populations, Dubai remains focused on removing barriers and creating pathways to fuller participation.

A centrepiece discussion, “Dubai Cares for Its Seniors: Integrated Government Services Advancing Equity and Quality of Life”, will feature representatives from multiple Dubai Government entities exploring how to strengthen coordination, simplify procedures and facilitate access to services. The forum will also present findings from a CDA study titled “When the Memories of Senior Citizens Tell the Story of Society’s Values”, offering research-based insights into how older residents perceive their role and contributions.

Interactive elements form an essential part of the design. Sessions such as “A Day in the Life of a Senior Citizen” will enable residents to articulate their experiences and aspirations directly, ensuring their voices shape the practical recommendations and proposals the forum will produce. These outcomes are intended to improve social services, strengthen the participation of older citizens in development initiatives, and translate Dubai Social Agenda 33 into tangible, meaningful change.

Source: WAM

What it means for Abu Dhabi

Whilst this forum takes place in Dubai, it signals an important evolution across the UAE in how society values and engages its senior citizens. The shift from provision to partnership, from passive receipt to active participation, reflects broader regional values that honour experience and wisdom whilst building stronger intergenerational bonds. For Abu Dhabi, this model offers a compelling framework for reimagining social services across its own communities.

The forum’s emphasis on integrated government coordination and simplified access to services aligns with Abu Dhabi’s own strategic priorities in community development. As the emirate continues to graduate trained social care professionals and forge partnerships for skills development, recognising older residents as partners in designing these systems strengthens the entire ecosystem. The international perspectives and research-based findings emerging from Dubai’s forum will inform best practices across the region, contributing to a more equitable and responsive approach to social services for all.