Inside the enterprising Abu Dhabi government organisation that puts children first


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Staff at an Abu Dhabi authority dedicated to championing the needs of young children across the emirate never lose sight of their crucial mission.

For each time they walk into work at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, they are reminded of the significance of their roles.

The authority's offices have been carefully designed to hark back to the innocence of childhood, with colourful artwork adorning the walls, a display of giant pencils drawing the attention of visitors and even a multicoloured printer taking pride of place.

It focuses the minds of team members on just who they are there to serve each day when they start work, say officials.

The ECA shapes key policies on health, family support, child protection and early learning aimed at supporting the capital's next generation.

“We are trying to create this environment to remind everyone why we are here, for whom do we work and who is our focus group,” said Thamer Rasher Al Qasimi, executive director of special projects and partnerships at the ECA.

“It is basically the children. And that is why you see this fun, joyful ... place.”

ECA general director Sana Mohamed Suhail told The National the authority sets out its goals to support families and to work with other departments across various sectors to achieve this.

“Our primary mandate is to oversee the early childhood development sector. So it's a very specific mandate,” she said.

“We work a lot with health, child protection, family support and early learning and education."

The ECA has an enabling and enriching role in its relations with these different entities, supporting children up to the age of 8, Ms Suhail said.

“We are very eager, we are very passionate. We do not claim that we are the best or have all the solutions."

Ms Suhail emphasised the work done by Mother of the Nation Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation.

“There definitely is a lot of programmes and we know that with Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak our leadership have always been active on the children's agenda.

“We do believe that we do have the passion to pioneer this field.”

The authority was established under a decree by the President, Sheikh Khalifa in 2019.

On Tuesday, it will bring together more than 50 speakers concerned with child development at the two-day World Early Childhood Development forum Yas South Skate Park in Abu Dhabi.

Experts will debate and suggest the best family-friendly policies to help with raising children.

The forum will also focus on age-appropriate technology, 21st-century lifestyle, emotional well-being and social interaction for young ones.

It will also discuss how to let children play and exercise safely in a hot climate and how Covid-19 has affected disabled children.

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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
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Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:

1. Make sure you make your payments on time;

2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;

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MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

'Gold'

Director:Anthony Hayes

Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes

Rating:3/5

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Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

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Founder: Kamal Nazha

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Founded: 2020

Number of employees: 5

Sector: Technology

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EGYPT SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Ahmed El Shennawy, Mohamed El Shennawy, Mohamed Abou-Gabal, Mahmoud Abdel Rehem "Genesh"
Defenders: Ahmed Elmohamady, Ahmed Hegazi, Omar Gaber, Ali Gazal, Ayman Ahsraf, Mahmoud Hamdy, Baher Elmohamady, Ahmed Ayman Mansour, Mahmoud Alaa, Ahmed Abou-Elfotouh
Midfielders: Walid Soliman, Abdallah El Said, Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed, Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan, Amr Warda, Nabil Emad
Forwards: Ahmed Ali, Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen, Ahmed "Kouka" Hassan.

The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games

The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.

Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.

Our legal advisor

Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.

Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.

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The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

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Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Updated: March 12, 2022, 9:08 AM