His Excellency Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development (DCD), confirmed that the Emirati Family Growth Support Programme, approved by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, headed by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, reflects the social sector's efforts to fulfil the aspirations of the leadership to provide the highest standards of living for citizens, highlighting the importance of the family as the nucleus of a cohesive community that embraces its members.

His Excellency also emphasised the importance of the programme, which is part of the Abu Dhabi Family Wellbeing Strategy and is added to various government initiatives that to benefit individuals and families. He said the programme also supports the journey of family building, growth, and stability. The programme aligns with the objectives of the Medeem initiative, which aims to help UAE Nationals begin their married life.

His remarks came during a meeting held by the DCD to showcase the latest progress in the implementation of the Emirati Family Growth Support Programme’s initiatives. The meeting was attended by His Excellency Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Undersecretary of the DCD; His Excellency Abdulla Al Ameri, Director General of Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority; Her Excellency Sana Mohamed Suhail, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority; His Excellency Hamad Hareb Al Muhairi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority, and leaders from other partners in the programme.

His Excellency Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Undersecretary of the DCD, emphasised the importance of continued coordination between entities that are implementing the programme, with the aim of ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of services.

“The programme represents a significant leap in initiatives launched by the Department of Community Development in cooperation with partners to unify efforts and harmonise their vision to provide a dignified quality of life for all. We also praise the efforts of all teams working to integrate their roles with dedication and sincerity in order to ensure the programme is a success.”

During the meeting, the readiness of the entities to implement the initiatives was reviewed, as well as the start of receiving applications. The frameworks for activating the initiatives, the customer journey, and service delivery channels were also reviewed, to ensure their efficient and effective delivery, which helps to continually improve the service ecosystem in the social sector in line with the directions of the Abu Dhabi government.

The mechanism to link various initiatives with the Medeem programmes was also reviewed, with the aim of providing young people with the skills and tools that will enable them to start a stable married life.

Each entity will announce the details of each initiative, along with the eligibility details according to various criteria and requirements, and the target groups during the coming period.  Applications for all initiatives will open in September.

The DCD supervises the Emirati Family Growth Support Programme, whose initiatives are implemented by the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority, and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority.

The programme includes six main initiatives: the Facilitated Marriage Loan, the Maternity Leave Support for Women Working in Private Sector, the Home Visit Service to support new mothers, the Rental Assistance for Newlyweds, the Extending Housing Loan Repayment Period, starting from the fourth child to the sixth, within specific criteria and conditions, as well as the Loan Partial Deduction initiative, if the beneficiary has four or more children.

The Emirati Family Growth Support Programme will be implemented over a period of five years, during which the positive impact of the initiatives will be evaluated to ensure their contribution to building a more stable and prosperous society.