Abu Dhabi to launch comprehensive youth strategy to support young families in 2026

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi is set to unveil a comprehensive Youth Strategy in 2026, aimed at supporting young families and strengthening the extended family. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development, said significant progress has already been made this year in tackling challenges related to early marriage and childbearing. The strategy includes eight key initiatives, such as mass weddings, the Madeem women’s wedding model, marriage loans, support for new mothers, extended maternity leave, rental assistance for newlyweds, housing loan discounts, and longer housing loan repayment periods.

Al Khaili affirmed the leadership’s keenness to provide continuous support to young people, enabling them to establish stable family lives while easing the financial burdens of marriage. He emphasized that cohesive families form the cornerstone of the UAE’s progress and prosperity, and are the foundation of a cohesive society capable of building, giving, and moving confidently toward a brighter future.

Speaking on the “100 Faces Podcast,” he explained that the Madeem initiative and the Emirati Family Growth Programme (Namo) have played an effective role in supporting family formation and stability in line with authentic Emirati values and the UAE’s vision of fostering a cohesive, sustainable society capable of addressing future challenges. He added that indicators show a decline in the average age of marriage among young men and women over the past year.

He said: “The department has completed the comprehensive Youth Strategy, which will be launched soon following the Abu Dhabi Government meeting to review the initiatives included. Over the coming period, we will focus on youth as they are not merely a social topic, but a core component across all sectors such as employment, health, sports, and education.”

He added: “All government entities will participate in discussions on the Youth Strategy, as each entity has a role to play in this agenda and must contribute to its implementation to ensure success in overcoming the challenges facing young people,” describing it as a “cross-sectoral strategy” that requires collective participation to achieve its objectives.

Al Khaili explained that through the Madeem initiative, and in cooperation with federal and local entities, the Department organizes mass weddings for men to help address the challenge of delayed marriage due to high costs and extravagant celebrations. The Madeem women’s wedding model is a unique initiative that revives authentic Emirati wedding traditions, emphasizes moderation in spending, and accommodates the modern needs of youth, enabling couples to begin married life without financial pressure through affordable wedding packages.

He further noted that the Emirati Family Growth Programme (Namo) reflects the leadership’s vision of strengthening social cohesion by supporting families at every stage of their development. The programme comprises six initiatives that deliver a range of services designed to meet real family needs and promote long-term social stability and national development.

Among the Namo initiatives is the Facilitated Marriage Loan, which offers eligible Abu Dhabi nationals an interest-free loan of AED 150,000. Beneficiaries are exempted from repaying AED 50,000 of the total amount after five years of marriage, provided they have two children.

The programme also offers Rental Assistance for newly married citizens earning no more than AED 50,000 per month, with support of up to AED 75,000 depending on monthly income. The assistance is granted for two years and may be renewed for a maximum of four years.

To promote family mental wellbeing, the programme provides home visits offering psychological and emotional support to parents after childbirth, guidance on newborn care, the importance of parental cooperation, and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of both mother and child.

In addition, the programme includes an initiative to extend maternity leave for Emirati women working in the private sector to match the public sector, reaching 90 days, in order to enhance family stability and support parents in caring for their children.

The Namo programme also allows citizens earning between AED 21,000 and AED 50,000 per month to receive deductions from their housing loans: AED 30,000 for the fourth child, AED 30,000 for the fifth, and AED 40,000 for the sixth, without altering the original loan term. For beneficiaries earning over AED 50,000 per month, monthly instalments may be reduced by extending the housing loan repayment period by up to nine years — three additional years for each additional child from the fourth to the sixth.

The Department of Community Development offers, through the Madeem initiative, a comprehensive 13-hour training programme designed to lay strong foundations for stable marriages by enhancing the skills and capabilities of couples preparing for marriage. Delivered at the Madeem Family Preparation Centre, the programme consists of two main counselling sessions followed by six training sessions covering topics such as stages of family formation, a positive outlook on marriage, shared marital goals, marital health management, emotional intelligence, effective communication, family planning, financial management, and achieving marital happiness.

The programme is delivered by leading family counsellors, relationship experts, psychologists, and certified trainers. Participants also receive a Madeem Benefits Card in partnership with Fazaa, granting them access to exclusive incentives and services.

In mid-2024, the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi approved the launch of the Emirati Family Growth Support Programme by the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi, as part of the Abu Dhabi Family Quality of Life Strategy.

The programme comprises six key initiatives aimed at supporting the growth of Emirati families and encouraging citizens to marry and have children, thereby increasing family size and contributing to stronger family cohesion and social stability.

The Department of Community Development oversees the implementation of the programme’s initiatives in collaboration with its partners, including the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority, and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority. The programme offers a comprehensive package of initiatives that promote marriage and childbearing among citizens, support the formation of stable families, and strengthen the role of parents in raising their children, ultimately fostering family cohesion and community prosperity.

The programme includes the Facilitated Marriage Loan initiative; the Maternity Leave Support initiative for women working in the private sector; and the Home Visits Service initiative to support new parents. It also features initiatives that provide rental assistance to newly married citizens, offer deductions from the value of housing loans for each additional child from the fourth to the sixth child, and extend housing loan repayment periods for families from the fourth to the sixth child, in accordance with specific terms and conditions.