Theyab bin Mohamed attends launch of 'Medeem' initiative

Developed by the Department of Community Development (DCD), the initiative aims to support UAE Nationals to adopt and preserve Emirati values, while providing services to support in the planning of affordable weddings and preparations for married life.

H.H. praised the ongoing efforts by DCD to provide guidance and support for UAE Nationals, facilitating the development of happy and healthy families that contribute to building a cohesive society in line with the Abu Dhabi Family Wellbeing Strategy.

Specifically designed for citizens of Abu Dhabi, Medeem provides guidance and support to ensure that every marriage is built on solid foundations. In so doing, the initiative hopes to facilitate happy and healthy families that contribute to a strong and stable society.

Spanning a wide variety of qualitative projects aimed at young people for those about to marry, families, parents, and businesses and professionals in the wedding industry, Medeem is one of the key initiatives that supports the aims of the Abu Dhabi Strategy for Quality of Family Life.

Medeem consists of four main pillars: Medeem Center for Family Flourishing, the Medeem Benefits Program, the Medeem Digital Platform and the Medeem Wedding Model.

The Medeem Center for Family Flourishing is providing further ways for Medeem to achieve its goals. It will provide an array of services and programmes for those who are about to marry and emerging families who are progressing through their journey together. Set to launch during the second quarter of 2024, innovative family guidance, family mediation, and post-divorce counseling services will all be delivered by specialised and qualified staff in the fields of marital relations and family and psychological counselling.

The Medeem Center for Family Flourishing particularly supports betrothed couples during the pre-wedding phase. The pillar guides couples through all psychological, social, and financial steps involved with marriage, and provides them with advice on how to properly establish their joint married life, form cohesive families, and practice positive parenting with the aim of raising morally guided children who actively contribute to the local community.

The Medeem Benefits Program offers a package of special offers and exclusive discounts for those who are about to get married.

The Medeem Digital Platform presents a wide choice of services and educational materials for young couples who are about to get married and are looking to securely establish their joint marital life. The platform also helps newlyweds comprehensively plan how to form cohesive families and raise children who contribute to building and developing society.

The third pillar of the initiative is the Medeem Wedding Model for Women’s Weddings. Inspired by the local Emirati community and created in cooperation with more than 25 partners from the public and private sectors, the reimagined model for female weddings invites up to five families to come together and collectively share in the joys of the wedding experience over several days. Delivered under stringent sustainability standards and using innovative waste-reduction methods, the model is designed to have a positive impact on the environment. As the total cost is split equally between each couple, it’s also an extremely economical wedding solution that reduces the financial strain placed on citizens, and encourages the formation of lasting and blessed marriages.

Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development (DCD), emphasised that His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, is passionate about providing a high quality of life for all his citizens, and investing in human beings, the real wealth of the nation, and the key to its comprehensive and sustainable development.

He added that this initiative reflected the approach adopted by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who believed in the importance of helping young people build families. Medeem’s ambition to facilitate marriages and reduce the costs and burdens of weddings reflects his vision and emphasises the importance of sustaining the authentic values of Emirati culture.

He appreciated the great efforts made by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and Mother of the Nation, in order to support the country’s youth, enhance the stability and growth of the Emirati family, and create a healthy family environment that provides care, proper upbringing of children, and consolidating the stability and prosperity of society.

The Medeem initiative was inspired by the wise words of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who once said: "Since the dawn of our national endeavours, we have persistently strived to shape an environment that supports family stability and underscores the indispensable role of families in our societal fabric and national identity."