DUBAI, 4th February, 2026 (WAM) -- The Ministry of Family has launched the ‘Family First’ programme, a nationwide strategic initiative under the National Family Growth Agenda 2031, during its participation at the World Governments Summit 2026, taking place in Dubai from 3 to 5 February under the theme ‘Shaping Future Governments’.
The programme reflects the Ministry’s commitment to promoting and empowering the family as a central pillar of the community and sustainable development. It focuses on making small yet meaningful changes to public spaces to create a more family-friendly environment and promote a mindset of “growing the family” in the community, in line with the objectives of the National Growth Agenda 2031.
The ‘Family First’ initiative uses a consistent national design language with clear icons and signage to make family-priority services intuitive and easily recognisable in public spaces. The changes include standardised priority parking for expectant mothers, clearly marked family seating on public transport, and the creation of ‘Family & Child Oasis Rooms’ in public venues, offering quiet spaces for feeding and caring for infants or simply taking a moment to relax.
Addressing these everyday challenges highlights the Ministry of Family’s commitment to reducing daily stresses for families, supporting the parenthood experience in public spaces, enhancing quality of life for families, and underlining family as a national priority.
Commenting on the collaboration, Her Excellency Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family, affirmed that the ‘Family First’ programme represents a strategic step towards ‘Promoting Thought and Behaviour’, which is one of the most important pillars of the National Family Growth Agenda 2031,outlining an integrated approach that reinforces the concept of creating and growing a family, stressing the values of stability and security as means to create a sustainable positive impact.
“By launching this initiative, we seek to employ community-based behavioural science and leverage directional signs and visual symbols to make public spaces and facilities that are most closely associated with daily life more family-friendly,” the Minister added. “To that end, the initiative relies on simple, easy-to-implement design interventions that do not require major changes to infrastructure, but have a notable impact in supporting quality of life for families and highlighting their importance and status as a national priority.”
“Our primary focus is on re-engineering urban environments and social spaces to bring families closer together, foster community interactions, and reimagine common everyday activities,” Her Excellency explained. “The initiative presents a practical model for integrating social policies with urban planning, under a comprehensive vision that allows for launching high-impact initiatives covering all aspects of living for families, which serves to enhance their stability and quality of life in the long term.”
The programme will initially be launched from Dubai, with plans to strengthen partnerships and expand its scope in stages to include all parts of the country.
As part of its efforts to implement the programme, the Ministry of Family signed cooperation agreements with leading national entities, including Dubai Municipality, in order to execute the initiative in public spaces and transport services in t Dubai.
The Ministry also signed agreements with Majid Al Futtaim Group and Union Coop with the aim of strengthening the role of the private sector engaging it in national efforts to provide urban environments that support values of family cohesion and take into account the needs of mothers, children, the elderly, and large families, providing all families with an enduring feeling of comfort and security as they commute, shop, and use public facilities and common spaces.
Sana Suhail, Minister of Family, attended the signing of the agreements, along with Eng. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality;Hessa Abdulrahman Tahlak, Assistant Undersecretary for the Social Development Sector at the Ministry of Family; Mohamed Al Hashemi, CEO of Union Coop; and Khalifa bin Braik, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim - Asset Management.
Eng. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality, affirmed that Dubai Municipality’s participation in the ‘Family First’ programme embodies a strategic approach that integrates the family dimension within the framework of urban planning, in line with the Municipality’s strategic directions to develop human-centric cities that take into account the needs of families and all segments of society.
“At Dubai Municipality, we believe that successful urban planning begins with understanding the needs of the family and placing them at the heart of development projects and decisions,” bin Ghalita continued. “Through our partnership with the Ministry of Family, we are working to realign public spaces and daily activities to enhance quality of life by designing urban spaces and public facilities centred around people and families, that support family cohesion, encourage positive social interaction, and contribute to establishing a balanced urban model that reflects Dubai’s vision as a sustainable city that places human well-being at the forefront of its priorities.”
Mohamed Al Hashemi, CEO of Union Coop, said: “At Union Coop, we believe that the ‘Family First’ programme reflects our deep commitment to strengthening the role of the family in society. It represents an important step towards promoting authentic Emirati values in all aspects of our daily lives.”
“Union Coop, across all its Dubai branches, seeks to provide shopping experiences and services that meet families’ every need and take into account the diverse cultures in our community, which enables us to create inclusive and safe environments that ensure the comfort and happiness of all members,” Al Hashemi added. “This national initiative is more than a programme; it is a vision for the future through which we aim to strengthen the UAE’s position as a leading model in supporting families and their well-being on every level.”
Ahmed Galal Ismail, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding, said: “The Family First initiative represents a pivotal national step that reflects the UAE’s vision to firmly embed the family at the heart of social policies and urban planning. As the UAE marks 2026 as the ‘Year of the Family’, we are proud to partner with this initiative, led by the Ministry of Family, which serves as a natural extension of our long-standing commitment to supporting community priorities across the country.”
He added: “We look forward to expanding our strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Family and its partners by playing an active role in shaping urban environments designed to meet the aspirations and needs of all family members, while also exploring opportunities that maximise the initiative’s impact nationwide and reinforce the family’s role as a cornerstone of sustainable social development.”
“The ‘Family First’ programme gives us the opportunity to offer a comprehensive experience for families at every stage of their lives,” he added. “By adopting and promoting expressive visual symbols that emphasise comfort and reassurance, we can ensure that visitors feel our facilities were specifically designed to welcome families and enhance their well-being.”
The ‘Family First’ programme aligns with the announcement of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to designate 2026 as the ‘Year of Family’, which reaffirms the family’s status as a fundamental unit in building the nation, reinforcing its role in practicing positive values and encouraging behaviours that strengthen family bonds and sustainable development.