Four significant memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed between partners in the government, social and private sectors during the Social Sector Business Forum, organised by the Department of Community Development (DCD), Abu Dhabi. These agreements are aimed at enhancing partnerships to develop innovative solutions that assist in addressing various social challenges. Several announcements of strategic partnerships with private sectors were also made during the event.

His Excellency Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi, along with several general managers in the social and government sectors and several senior officials in the private and third sectors, were present during the signing of the MoUs.

These agreements are a part of the efforts to enhance cooperation and partnerships between various societal organisations and sectors in order to contribute to social impact and discuss strategies for addressing social issues with a shared vision and coordinated efforts in line with the interests and well-being of people and society.

His Excellency Eng. Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Undersecretary at the Department of Community Development, said: “We are proud of the positive outcomes of the Social Sector Business Forum organised by DCD. The event marks a turning point in the development of partnerships between the public, private, and third sectors as it will open up possibilities for collaboration and the sharing of knowledge through discussion workshops conducted by the Social Innovation Lab to address pressing social issues and accelerate the Emirate’s social development.”

Supporting Family Well-being

Four cooperation agreements were signed during the Social Sector Business Forum. The first memorandum of understanding was signed between Etihad Airways and the Family Development Foundation to support programmes that lower costs for those who are about to get married and to enhance cooperation through rehabilitation services for them by providing incentives to participants in these programmes.

Her Excellency Maryam Muhammad Al-Rumaithi, Director General of the Family Development Foundation, stated that the Foundation is pleased to work with Etihad Airways as it will enable sharing of ideas and experiences and will support the Foundation’s efforts to offer top-quality family-focused programmes and initiatives. She highlighted that the agreement aids in the development of innovative and sustainable strategic solutions to tackle many important social concerns. In addition to exploring avenues in addressing social issues with a shared vision and exceptional efforts that improve the well-being of all members of society in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, it also plays a crucial role in promoting spending habits that directly benefit and improve the quality of life of families.

As part of the project with the DCD to lower the cost of marriage, she emphasised the significance of the agreement signed between the Family Development Foundation and Etihad Airways. “This agreement would support those who are about to get married under the premarital service provided by the Family Development Foundation,” she added.

Dr. Nadia Bastaki, Chief Human Resources, Organisational Development and Asset Management Officer at Etihad Airways, said: “As a national business devoted to improving the standard of living for residents of the emirate, we are eager to contribute to addressing Abu Dhabi’s top social challenges. We will offer rewards to participants in training programmes designed to help people preparing to get married through our collaboration with the Family Development Foundation.”

The second and third Memorandums of Understanding, on the other hand, focused on numerous initiatives aimed at improving family cohesion and well-being in Abu Dhabi. These agreements enable interested parties to take part in creating a set of initiatives and exchanging experiences for ensuring the well-being of all family members. The Family Care Authority and Aldar Properties and Miral signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

Her Excellency Dr. Bushra Al Mulla, Director General of the Family Care Authority, said: “In line with our goals, work, and areas of expertise at the Authority to support the social sector agenda by creating a cohesive family that enjoys well-being and services of the highest calibre, we are pleased to sign this significant agreement, which will help to provide and implement new programmes and services for families as well as develop and prepare programmes that improve the quality time for members of the same family.”

His Excellency Talal Al Dhiyebi, Group CEO at Aldar Properties, said: “Based on its social responsibility, Aldar keeps exploring new avenues and ways to collaborate that strengthens our efforts to offer innovative solutions to social issues and produce a long-term favourable impact on our societies. We are happy to have signed this agreement with the Family Care Authority, which will enable us to conduct high-quality programmes that empower community members in the UAE and enhance their family life.”

In order to enhance the wellbeing of families, the Family Care Authority also entered into a similar MoU with Miral, a pioneer in developing destinations and immersive experiences in Abu Dhabi. The agreement focuses on delivering a set of family services on Yas Island after researching the needs of the local populace to guarantee an improvement in the quality of time spent by family members.

Mohamed Aballa Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Miral, said: “We are proud of the MoU signed between Miral and the Family Care Authority, which will help identify and develop relevant programmes and activities to increase family well-being, by increasing time spent with families on Yas Island and enhancing the cohesion of families in the emirate generally. To help create a strong community and a better future for Abu Dhabi, Miral will constantly collaborate with partners to deliver initiatives that enhance family experiences on Yas Island and beyond.”

The Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority and the private sector signed the fourth MoU to improve the skills of beneficiaries of the Authority’s services and to implement CSR initiatives to enhance the skills of young people by conducting workshops and training that focus on meeting social challenges and encourage the youth to contribute positively to society.

In this regard, His Excellency Abdullah Al Ameri, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, said: “The agreement aims at providing high-quality services that empower society’s members, particularly young people by offering training courses that improve participants’ skills and help them gain experiences that will integrate them in the labour market. The training programmes will focus on a variety of skills, including CV writing, interview preparation, and other fundamental abilities that will benefit them and we will further collaborate with our partners to deliver specialised courses in order to improve young job opportunities.”

The Social Sector Business Forum strives to strengthen collaborations between the social and private sectors to develop innovative strategic responses to a range of social concerns. The event brought together numerous eminent organisations from Abu Dhabi’s private and third sectors to discuss issues such as sustainable housing for Emiratis, CSR, work-life balance, healthy ageing, and financial literacy. A panel discussion on challenges in creating meaningful partnerships to address social concerns was also part of the programme.