Like many Arab societies, the UAE is deeply family-orientated. We live among extended families, bound not only by blood but by obligation, faith and tradition.
Yet modern life has introduced subtle disruptions. Not ones that fundamentally alter values, but ones that affect daily practice.
Life is faster, work more demanding, schedules fuller. The most noticeable shift is not in how much families care for one another, but in how much time they are able to spend together.
Against this backdrop, the UAE’s decision to designate 2026 as the Year of Family feels less like a policy intervention and more like a reaffirmation – a reminder of what family already means, and a call to protect and strengthen it.
It is not only the nuclear household being acknowledged, but the nation itself. The UAE sees itself as one family, bound by shared responsibility and collective care.
This ethos is visible in everyday life: in the open doors of Emirati homes, rarely locked; in the ease with which guests are welcomed for lunch or dinner; in the instinct to include others in family gatherings. As Ramadan approaches, it becomes even more evident – in communal iftars, extended tables and the insistence that no one eats alone.
In that sense, the Year of Family is not about building something new. It is about safeguarding an exceptional and deeply rooted model – and ensuring it remains strong in a changing world.
In this month’s edition of Emirati, I speak to three graduates of the National Experts Programme (NEP) – a development programme intended to prepare experienced Emirati professionals to become trusted sector experts aligned with the UAE’s national priorities.
All three were clear that while family remains central to Emirati life, it is not immune to modern pressures. This is their story.
Thank you for reading.
How Emiratis find work-life balance in 21st century
Family values are considered by President Sheikh Mohamed as a "vital pillar" of the UAE's future – but what does this mean in practice?
NEP graduates find themselves grappling with finding the key balance between the pressures of modern working life and maintaining core family values.
With the UAE facing the challenges posed by a declining birth rate, the government is set to launch initiatives and partnerships with citizens, residents and private companies to promote family values.
That sense of family as a pillar of national well-being is echoed by Asma Al Azri, executive director of the Family Cases Sector at the Family Care Authority. “The Year of Family is a reaffirmation of the importance of families – and resilient families – in the UAE,” she said.
Families are the most important pillar of the development of any society, Ms Al Azri said, while making it clear that challenges are often complex and deeply personal.
“What we want to see is less family conflict, stronger marital relationships and more resilient children,” Ms Al Azri said.
By the end of the year, she hopes the focus will translate into tangible results, with "stronger families, a more cohesive community and better welfare outcomes across the country".
Did you know?
Emirati mountaineer Fatima Al Awadhi this month became the first Arab to reach the summit of Mount Vinson − the highest peak in Antarctica − at the age of 18. Read more here
Biodegradable cutlery points to the UAE's new direction
An Emirati entrepreneur believes her business can step up and provide biodegradable alternatives to the single-use plastics banned under a nationwide initiative.
Lamis Al Hashimy has built a business around biodegradable products made from discarded date-palm leaves, making eco-friendly disposable cutlery at a factory in Dubai Investment Park. Her company, Palmade, has increased production from about 10,000 units every two weeks at the time of its launch, to more than 70,000 pieces of cutlery a day.
Ms Al Hashimy is keen to position her products as a long-term alternative to plastic and hopes they will be used as a replacement for the plastic cutlery prohibited by the ban on single-use plastics that came into force in January.
Emirati citizens to lead new government authority
President Sheikh Mohamed has directed the launch of a new community-powered branch of government with a remit of empowering skilled Emiratis to help shape the UAE's future.
The Community-Managed Virtual Authority is to be led by a director general, with team members drawn from the country's citizenship.
Skilled members of the community will be given the opportunity to assume full responsibility for managing an authority. The director general and other representatives will be assigned periodically to lead and run the body for fixed terms.
Authority members will be appointed based on a set criteria of competence, expertise and an ability to contribute effectively to its objectives.
It is not clear when the authority's leadership will be appointed and when it will begin operations.
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