President Sheikh Mohamed in 2024 at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington. Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Court
President Sheikh Mohamed in 2024 at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington. Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Court
President Sheikh Mohamed in 2024 at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington. Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Court
President Sheikh Mohamed in 2024 at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington. Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Court

Emirati Children's Day: UAE leaders share importance of nation's youth


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Making sure that Emirati children reach their potential is central to the UAE's vision for the future, President Sheikh Mohamed has said.

Sharing a message on X to celebrate Emirati Children's Day, Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the importance of the country's younger generations and their vital contribution to the future.

“Nurturing the development of our children and enabling their potential are priorities of the UAE in our collective efforts to empower youth into the future,” said Sheikh Mohamed.

“On Emirati Children’s Day, we reaffirm our shared commitment as a community and nation to protecting the rights of children and ensuring they remain central to our vision of progress and prosperity for all.”

The day, which is marked on March 15, was launched in 2018 by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, also shared a special message for the nation's young people.

"Within every child lies a seed. A seed of dreams, achievements, and tremendous potential. Either this seed grows into a lush, fruitful, and generous tree, or the seed fades and withers in its early stages as a result of neglect and poor care.

"Our children today are the men and women who will carry, protect and build our country's future. Our future depends on our attention to the seed of great potential that every child in our country carries."

Emirati Children's Day is observed each year on March 15 because it was on that date in 2016 that the Emirates approved Federal Law No 3, widely known as Wadeema's Law. The legislation was set out to secure the rights of children and protect them against all forms of abuse.

It was prompted by the case of Wadeema, an eight-year-old Emirati girl whose death shocked a nation when her body was found buried in the Sharjah desert in 2012, after she had been tortured by her father and his partner.

Emirati Children's Day helps to recognise the strides made due to the 2016 law. The UN's International Children's Day falls later in the year, on November 20.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister, emphasised the President's message around protecting the rights of young people.

"Emirati Children's Day is an occasion to enhance community awareness of children's rights and needs," he said.

"Investing in children is an investment in the nation's future, and the UAE has been keen to develop legislation and strategies aimed at providing social, health, and educational care for children, as well as protecting and safeguarding their rights."

The UAE's Minister of Education, Sarah Al Amiri, took the occasion to remind people that children are the building blocks of the country.

"We renew our belief that the children of the Emirates are the foundation of our present and the leaders of our future, with their excellence, passion, and inspiration," she said.

"We will continue working to build generations proud of their identity, cherishing their Arabic language and local heritage, and capable of shaping a better tomorrow for us all, God willing."

Improvements

On Friday, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority announced it is rolling out a new assessment to improve the quality of offerings young children are exposed to beyond nursery and school.

The system, developed by the ECA, will look at programmes such as camps, after-school classes, children’s libraries, playgrounds, as well as children’s museums and cultural centres with dedicated spaces for children.

In February, a new Dubai child protection protocol was approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, which is designed to ensure a more holistic approach to child welfare with a strong emphasis on family support. It will introduce new child welfare services, social worker training programmes and legislative reforms.

The initiative spans several stages of life, covering prenatal care, birth registration, early childhood services, school-age support, youth development and premarital counselling.

A community development fund policy was also signed off. It aims to enhance community services and help fund social programmes to boost inclusivity.

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

The language of diplomacy in 1853

Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)


We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.

Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale

Monster

Directed by: Anthony Mandler

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington 

3/5

 

UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Financial considerations before buying a property

Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.

“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says. 

Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.

Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier. 

Trolls World Tour

Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake

Rating: 4 stars

Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
%3Cp%3EAl%20Khayma%0D%3Cbr%3EBait%20Maryam%0D%3Cbr%3EBrasserie%20Boulud%0D%3Cbr%3EFi'lia%0D%3Cbr%3Efolly%0D%3Cbr%3EGoldfish%0D%3Cbr%3EIbn%20AlBahr%0D%3Cbr%3EIndya%20by%20Vineet%0D%3Cbr%3EKinoya%0D%3Cbr%3ENinive%0D%3Cbr%3EOrfali%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EReif%20Japanese%20Kushiyaki%0D%3Cbr%3EShabestan%0D%3Cbr%3ETeible%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

MANDOOB
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Ali%20Kalthami%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Mohammed%20Dokhei%2C%20Sarah%20Taibah%2C%20Hajar%20Alshammari%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
HWJN
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From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

The%20specs
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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP

Group A

Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA

Group B

Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti

Group C

Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia

Group D

Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria

Company info

Company name: Entrupy 

Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist

Based: New York, New York

Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.  

Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius. 

Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place. 

Company%C2%A0profile
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BLACKBERRY
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Checks continue

A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.

Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.

The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

While you're here
Updated: March 15, 2025, 9:49 AM`