Sharjah Forum Charts New Course for Family Support Across the Region

The ICESCO Regional Family Forum concludes with a call to transform dialogue into coordinated action, as experts and policymakers commit to strengthening families through integrated institutional responses.

Two days of substantive engagement in Sharjah have yielded something more valuable than rhetoric. The ICESCO Regional Family Forum, which concluded on October 29th, moved beyond the customary exchange of ideas to establish a framework for practical collaboration among decision-makers, academics, specialists and community leaders from across the UAE and beyond.

Convened under the theme “The Family… A Balance That Shapes the Future”, the forum brought together policymakers and families from multiple nations to confront the complexities facing contemporary households. The discussions encompassed the digital landscape, educational challenges, economic pressures and the evolving role of parents and children in an era of accelerating transformation.

What distinguished this gathering was its deliberate pivot from isolated conversation to coordinated action. Participants stressed the necessity of strengthening institutional coordination among those working in family affairs, education, health, development and media. The emphasis fell on translating scientific research and specialist expertise into support systems genuinely equipped to address the shifts affecting family life.

The forum identified several interconnected priorities. Foremost was the imperative to reinforce parents’ capacity to guide children while empowering young people to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting them. Building the skills of new generations, supporting mental health and wellbeing, and fostering digital and environmental awareness emerged as essential components of any comprehensive family support strategy. Equally important was the commitment to preserving cultural values and identity whilst enabling families to adapt to contemporary demands.

Salem Omar Salem, Regional Director of ICESCO’s Sharjah Regional Office, articulated the forum’s concluding vision with particular clarity. “What we aspire to after the forum concludes is for ideas to move beyond the sessions and discussions and become ongoing cooperation, initiatives and programmes that benefit families and society,” he reflected. The challenge, as participants recognised, lies in transforming the insights and proposals of these two days into sustained partnerships that facilitate genuine knowledge exchange and convert aspirations into tangible programmes.

The forum’s success reflected a deliberate regional commitment to addressing family challenges through dialogue grounded in expertise and lived experience. The presence of government representatives, including Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Family and Child Sector at the UAE Ministry of Family, alongside international specialists such as Dr Mustafa Yousif Ali, Secretary-General of the Global Network of Religions for Children, underscored the breadth of institutional investment in strengthening families.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

The forum’s outcomes carry particular significance for the UAE’s broader commitment to family stability and social wellbeing. By establishing a framework for coordinated institutional action, the event reinforces the emirate’s recognition that family support requires integrated approaches spanning education, health, development and media. The emphasis on building partnerships and sharing expertise aligns with Abu Dhabi’s vision of sustainable social development grounded in cultural values and contemporary understanding.

For families across the UAE, the practical commitment to transform forum insights into ongoing programmes signals a shift towards proactive, evidence-based support systems. The focus on empowering young people, supporting parental guidance and fostering resilience in the face of digital and economic change reflects the emirate’s investment in future generations as architects of stable, prosperous communities.

Source: WAM