UAE resilience built on unity and preparedness, says Maitha Al Shamsi

The UAE’s approach to crisis is not reactive but carefully designed, with resilience built into its systems long before challenges arise, Maitha Mohammed Al Shamsi, CEO of the Community Empowerment Sector at the Community Development Authority in Dubai, said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Tristar presents Limitless: The UAE Power Women’s Forum, in association with Gulf News, held at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, The Palm, Al Shamsi placed solidarity and social cohesion at the centre of the country’s response to uncertainty.

“If there is one thing that defines leadership, it is not how we lead when things are stable, but how we show up when things are uncertain,” she said, addressing an audience of policymakers, professionals and women leaders.

Al Shamsi pointed to recent regional tensions as a moment that revealed, not created, the UAE’s resilience. Despite disruptions in the wider region, she noted, life within the country continued with “stability, calm, and confidence.”

“This was not by chance,” she said, attributing it to long-term planning, forward-looking leadership and systems built to withstand uncertainty.

What distinguishes the UAE model, she explained, is that resilience is embedded across institutions, communities and partnerships. Government, private sector, civil society and individuals function as a connected ecosystem, ensuring that action during crises is immediate and coordinated.

“Preparedness before the crisis, not just response after it, is the UAE’s true strength,” she said.

Beyond infrastructure and policy, Al Shamsi emphasised that resilience ultimately rests on people. During recent challenges, communities remained calm, informed and supportive of one another, an outcome she described as a reflection of deep-rooted trust.

“In the UAE, people do not stand on the sidelines during a crisis. They step forward,” she said, citing examples of neighbours checking in on one another and families offering support within their communities.

This sense of cohesion, she added, has been deliberately strengthened through national initiatives such as the Year of the Family and the Year of the Community, which aim to reinforce social bonds over time.

“Strong families create strong communities, and strong communities create resilient nations,” she said.

At the Community Development Authority, this philosophy translates into direct action. Al Shamsi highlighted the authority’s proactive outreach during recent crises, where teams engaged with vulnerable groups before requests for help were made.

“In just 40 days, we conducted over 22,500 personal outreach calls,” she said. “We delivered mental health workshops, held one-to-one engagements and ensured that every member of society had access to support.”

The focus, she stressed, was not only on assistance but on inclusion. “A system is only as strong as its ability to reach everyone, especially the most vulnerable,” she said.

Al Shamsi also gave emphasis to the role of women in shaping resilient societies. In times of crisis, she said, women often act as stabilising forces within families and communities, while also contributing as leaders and decision-makers.

“When women are empowered, resilience becomes more inclusive, more adaptive, and more sustainable,” she said.

Reflecting on recent global and regional challenges, Al Shamsi said the UAE’s experience has reinforced a simple but powerful idea, that resilience is built through connection and shared responsibility.

“In times of crisis, you do not rise only to the level of your systems. You rise to the level of your relationships,” she said.

She pointed to the country’s leadership and unity as defining strengths, quoting the UAE President His Highness Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan: “The UAE’s strength lies in the unity of its people and the resilience of its spirit.”

For Al Shamsi, that unity is not reserved for moments of difficulty. “Solidarity is not something we activate only in times of crisis,” she said. “It is something we practise every day.”

Presenting presenter of the forum is Tristar, Platinum Sponsor is Ajman Free Zone, Jewellery Partner is Jawhara, Maternal Wellness Partner is Momcozy. Support Partners are AWR Mobility, AWR Trading, Ahmad Alagbari Chartered Accountants, Banke International Properties, and Veloche Group. Venue Partner is Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Crystal Partner is Crystal Gallery, Floral Partner is Flowerista and Gifting Partner is Chocodate.