The Department of Community Development - Abu Dhabi has organised a strategic retreat for the social sector, bringing together leaders and partners within the industry.

The aim of the retreat, which is held on a regular basis, is to define social priorities for the next 10 years through discussions on anticipating the future through analytical thinking systems and measuring social impact, in addition to highlighting the most important developments in the social sector, plans and future aspirations.

The retreat was attended by His Excellency Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the DCD; His Excellency Engineer Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Undersecretary of DCD; His Excellency Mohamed Alqadi, Director General of Strategic Affairs at Abu Dhabi Executive Office; His Excellency Abdullah Al-Humaidan, Secretary General of Zayed Higher Organization for People with Determination, His Excellency Abdulla Al Ameri, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority; Her Excellency Dr. Bushra Al Mulla, Director General of the Family Care Authority; and Her Excellency Salama Al Ameemi, Director General - Authority of Social Contribution - Ma'an; along with a number of officials from DCD and the social sector.

The strategic retreat seeks to strengthen the department's position and reaffirm its dedication to collaborating with all pertinent stakeholders, all with the goal to enhance a pioneering social system, ensuring that every individual and segment of society enjoys a dignified and stable life.

The retreat’s agenda centres around facilitating interactive workshops that address social challenges and phenomena, with an emphasis on developing solutions and strategies through analytical thinking systems and anticipating future trends.

His Excellency Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili said: “The series of strategic retreats for the social sector comes within the framework of the efforts undertaken by the DCD, as the regulating body for the social sector in Abu Dhabi, to achieve the aspirations of our wise leadership in building a society in which everyone enjoys a high quality of life. This is characterised by inclusion and solidarity among all categories and segments.

“In this context, the department is keen to enhance complementarity between government agencies through continuous meetings to determine societal priorities, closely identify social challenges and phenomena, and seek out innovative and sustainable solutions through an integrated services system that enhances the quality of life of individuals in society.”

His Excellency Dr Mugheer Al Khaili highlighted that since its establishment, the DCD has worked on defining the priorities of the social sector and launching strategies, plans and initiatives aimed at reaching all segments, all of which contribute to achieving goals that are in line with government objectives.

His Excellency Al Khaili also underscored the significance of anticipating the future through the utilisation of various scientific tools. This becomes particularly crucial in the face of ongoing societal changes that demand a thorough analysis of current trends and challenges affecting our social fabric. Swift responses and preventive measures are essential to guarantee a sustainable and secure future for all.

Throughout the retreat, several key topics within the social sector were reviewed via panel discussions, interactive workshops and presentations. The objective was to facilitate a constructive exchange of ideas and knowledge by delving into discussions on social phenomena and challenges. This approach enables the formulation of solutions and strategies intended to bolster the sector's role in advancing community development and fostering a decent life for all individuals.

Other topics that were discussed included tools for anticipating the future and mechanisms for harmonising trends and integrating plans in addressing priority issues for the community of Abu Dhabi among all concerned parties, including government and private agencies and third sector institutions, in addition to deepening the understanding about the importance of being proactive in confronting priority social challenges in light of the rapid global changes and their effects on societies and the social fabric.

Her Excellency Shaikha Alhosani, Executive Director of the Social Monitoring and Innovation Sector at DCD, discussed the project called Foreseeing the Future and Social Impact, which is considered one of the important tools in strategic planning, decision making, and innovative solutions to social challenges through its positive impact across all fields.

Her Excellency Shaikha Alhosani explained that, considering current international changes, anticipating the social future is one of the tasks that requires considering technological developments, economic transformations, and changes that occur in the social structure of societies around the world. This needs a deep understanding of the effects, variables and ability to imagine different social development scenarios.

Those concerned will need to focus on how to enhance the ability to adapt and withstand various challenges in addition to the importance of encouraging innovation in public policies to ensure building societies capable of facing a changing future with confidence, efficiency and flexibility.

The retreat also included an interactive workshop on how to address the challenges facing our societies today through the power of strategic and creative thinking systems to analyse and set priorities that contribute significantly to enabling societies to adapt to social transformations and improve the quality of life, to build a more sustainable and prosperous future.

The retreat also contributed to exploring future cooperation opportunities between the participating entities, which contributes to enhancing quality of life and ensuring a pioneering and distinguished social sector today and in the future, in addition to enhancing the social impact of the sector by directing efforts towards basic goals in society.