ABU DHABI, 5th February, 2026 (WAM) -- The Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development (DCD) has honoured the four winning projects of the Wyakom 4.0 initiative, following the conclusion of the evaluation phase and presentations before a specialised judging committee.
The fourth round of the programme attracted wide participation, with 199 ideas submitted by individuals from different age groups across three categories: Growth, Prosperity and Leadership. The initiative reinforces Wyakom’s role as a leading community platform empowering youth, children and adolescents to develop practical, sustainable solutions that enhance quality of life, in line with the priorities of the Year of Community 2025.
First place was awarded to Ask Baseera by Mai Mohammed, a secure digital platform providing adolescent girls with reliable health information and confidential responses supervised by specialised female doctors, supporting health awareness and psychological wellbeing.
Second place went to LEGO – Empowering Youth of Determination in the UAE by Saira Gulamani. The initiative enables Emirati youth of determination to lead intergenerational learning sessions for senior citizens using LEGO, enhancing communication, leadership skills and community interaction. The award was received on her behalf by Yash Chopra.
For the first time in the initiative’s history, two projects jointly shared third place. Sanad Squad by Anya Mariam offers youth-led weekly support circles in Abu Dhabi, supervised by trained mentors to promote adolescents’ psychological and social wellbeing. Sharing the position was Heritage with a New Voice by Sara Al Nahdi and Hussain Al Mansoori, which empowers people of determination to learn traditional Emirati crafts through innovative methods using sound, touch and artificial intelligence, helping preserve heritage in a contemporary format.
Arif Al Hammadi, Acting Director-General of Strategic and Digital Affairs at DCD, said the initiative celebrates innovative community-driven ideas that address priority social challenges. He noted that since its launch in 2022, Wyakom has served as an inclusive platform that supports policy development and quality of life, with implementable ideas to be followed up with partners for activation.
Yousif Al Zaabi, Director of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at DCD, said the calibre and diversity of submissions reflect strong awareness and creativity among youth and children, reinforcing Wyakom’s role as an incubator for impactful community solutions.
The winning projects will receive support from DCD to move into the implementation phase, transforming innovative ideas into practical initiatives that strengthen social development and promote participation and social responsibility across the emirate.