Dubai, United Arab Emirates – His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, stressed that the wise leadership places the elements of improving the quality of life of citizens and enhancing the values of community cohesion at the forefront of the priorities to which it pays most attention, and mobilizes all necessary aspects of support for a prosperous Emirati society.
This came on the occasion of His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai reviewing the results of the “Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum Family” program, which aims to support and empower the Emirati family and enhance the pillars of societal stability, through a set of integrated qualitative initiatives that include psychological and social rehabilitation, financial education, and providing financial and housing support, within the framework of His Highness’s keenness to follow up on progress in implementing social empowerment programs, and their role in achieving a sustainable positive impact that supports the “Dubai Social Agenda 33”.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum praised the programme, its objectives and its tangible positive impact on society. His Highness said: “The programme expresses a firm commitment to empowering our youth and supporting them in building a future worthy of their ambitions.” The Dubai government is keen to provide everything that helps young people establish a decent life, including adequate housing, financial support, enhancing employment opportunities, and expanding social welfare initiatives… We continue to work to provide an integrated environment that achieves prosperity and stability for all.
His Highness praised the awareness of the program participants, saying: “We appreciate the youth’s keenness to start their family lives on a clear basis of awareness and responsibility in an honorable model for a generation that knows how to create its future with will, work and initiative”.
The results of the program launched by the Dubai Community Development Authority in September 2023 showed a qualitative shift in enabling Emirati youth to marry and establish stable families. Demand for the Dubai Weddings Initiative increased by 218% in 2025 compared to 2024, with the number of weddings so far exceeding 700, while the marriage rate through the Dubai Weddings Initiative reached 27.7% of the total marriages registered in the emirate.
The results also showed that the largest age group among beneficiaries was concentrated among men aged 26–30 years, and women aged 20–25 years, while the satisfaction rate of beneficiaries with the program reached 95%. In an effort to enhance the success of married life in the long term, the rehabilitation and awareness programs included the “Start It Right” program, which provides awareness services on marital rights and building the foundations of understanding. The “Family Financial Culture – Dubai” program focuses on raising awareness of sound financial planning. The “How to Build Your Home” program educates couples about the steps of building a home with the awareness and flexibility of an integrated system.
The impact was not limited to cognitive rehabilitation, but extended to include a system of privileges that meet the realistic needs of families, including “full coverage of marriage costs for men and women within the halls of the Community Development Authority.. Priority is given to obtaining ready-made housing in the loan category, with low monthly installments. The percentage of beneficiaries of housing services among the total members of the Dubai Weddings Initiative reached 90%. And special discounts on medical clinics, wedding supplies, jewelry, and travel. And an exclusive loyalty card for community benefits through the “Esaad” program. Remote work application for newly married female employees for 10 days after the end of maternity leave.
On this occasion, Her Excellency Hessa bint Issa Buhumaid, Director General of the Community Development Authority in Dubai, stressed that the “Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum Family Program” embodies the vision of the wise leadership that places the family at the heart of community development, noting that enhancing the stability of the Emirati family is the cornerstone of building a cohesive and happy society.
Her Excellency extended her deepest thanks and gratitude to the wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, for her generous patronage of this initiative, saying, “The Dubai Weddings Initiative was not just financial or logistical support, but rather an initiative full of love and mercy. The imprint of Her Highness Sheikha Hind is clear in every home that has been reassured, and in the lives of every two young men whose lives began together with confidence and awareness. This initiative has given us an opportunity to live the meaning of social responsibility in its truest form.
Her Excellency the Director General of the Community Development Authority in Dubai added, “The results achieved by the program confirm that real investment starts from within the Emirati home… From awareness to empowerment, from financial support to housing, we are working on an integrated system that accompanies the family in all stages of its establishment, in line with the goals of Dubai Social Agenda 33, and makes the emirate the best environment to start a stable married life to move forward on the journey of the future.
Her Excellency affirmed the Authority’s commitment to continuing to develop the program, in partnership with various parties, to consolidate its position as one of the leading models in empowering the family and enhancing the sustainability of community development.
