With the participation of 26 speakers The GCC Family Forum’s dialog sessions, which discussed issues and topics of importance and priority for the family, have concluded

The sessions of the Gulf Family Forum, which kicked off on September 14 under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and Chairman of the Family Affairs Council, Engineer Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al Rajhi, over two days with the participation of 26 speakers distributed over 6 themes, addressed a number of issues and topics of importance and priority for the family, opportunities and challenges, Gulf family values and their impact on preparing a more effective generation to face the challenges of the future.

The sessions of the forum, organized by the Family Affairs Council in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, began with a discussion on “Family Values in the Gulf and their Impact on Preparing a Generation that Keeps Up with Change”, which addressed the importance of protecting family values in light of modern changes, policies and legal legislations that strengthen the institution of marriage and family, as well as the importance of using modern media in promoting values. The session was moderated by Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Wabel, General Supervisor of the National Center for Public Opinion Polls, with the participation of speakers Director of Family Counseling and Guidance Department in Oman, Dr. Jalal Al-Mukhaini, Dr. Jalal Al-Mukhaini, and Dr.

The second session, “The Impact of Virtual and Augmented Reality Technology on Family Cohesion in the Gulf,” was moderated by Dr. Hamad Al-Khorayef and featured speakers Iman Abdullah Harib, Director of the Social Protection Department in the UAE, Adnan Al Farsi, Member of the National Committee for Family Affairs in Oman, Director of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Kuwait, Fawzia Al Masaed, and Dr. Sharifa Al Emadi, Executive Director of Doha Institute, as speakers agreed on the importance of the family role in using innovation and technology to address challenges and the family responsibility within digital technology.

The third session, moderated by Dr. Mohammed Makni, Professor of Finance and Investment at the Faculty of Economics at Imam Muhammad Bin Saud University, focused on “Family economics and its impact on enhancing family cohesion.” The session was attended by Dr. Abdullah Baashan, member of the Saudi Board of Certified Public Accountants, Acting Head of Family Development in Bahrain Jawad Al-Jedd, psychotherapist Fatima Abdel-Aal, and Head of the Family Social Development Department Hadeel Al-Ajeel. The discussion addressed the importance of financial management and savings in the Gulf, the impact of consumption pattern on family stability, the importance of balance between parents’ work and family life, and the role of family savings.

The fourth session was titled: “Best Practices and Policies to Support Childhood in the Gulf Countries.” The session was moderated by the Director of the National Monitoring for Women’s Participation in Development, Dr. Maimouna Al-Khalil, with the participation of Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Imam Mohammed bin Saud University, Dr. Hanadi Dawood, Head of the Department of Educational Technologies at King Saud University, Dr. Anas Al-Tuwaijri, Media Manager at AGFUND, Abdul Latif Al-Duwaihi, UNICEF Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa Adeel Khader, UNICEF Regional Representative in the Gulf, Al-Tayeb Adam, and UNICEF Social Policy and Economic Analysis Leader.

The fifth session – moderated by Shura Council member Dr. Mastoura Al-Shammari under the title “The reality of the elderly in light of the changes” – addressed the policies, legislation and regulations supporting the elderly in the Gulf, in addition to the areas of participation of the elderly and appropriate community opportunities to employ their expertise, the role of the family in enhancing the quality of life for its elderly members, and the participation of the Director of the Family Development Department, Alia Al-Joker, the Head of the Mobile Service Section for the Capital Governorate Ghoneim Al-Majdi, retired Air Force Major General Abdullah Al-Sadoun, and Director General of Social Development in Oman Sultan Al-Abri.

The sessions concluded with a discussion on “Family Health in the Gulf.” The session was moderated by Dr. Mohammed Sanbal, Dr. Ola Babli, Family Medicine Consultant, Dr. Aisha Al-Saghir, Family Medicine Resident Physician, and Dr. Haya Zeidan. The session addressed the impact of pre-marital examinations and their impact in reducing genetic diseases, in addition to the threats to the health of children in early childhood, the most important of which are overweight and the use of electronic devices, and the speakers highlighted areas of preventive awareness to promote family health in the Gulf.