Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman hosted the 'Contemporary Gulf Family Forum Between Challenges and Aspirations', a two-day event organised by the Ministry of Social Development in cooperation with the National Committee for Family Affairs. The forum aimed to reaffirm the Gulf family's pivotal role within society and chart a path toward strengthening it further. This initiative is aligned with the vision of "Oman 2040" and the social work strategy while coinciding with Gulf Family Day celebrated annually on September 14.
The forum's opening ceremony was organised under the auspices of Dr Abdullah bin Nasser al Harrasi, Minister of Information, and in the presence of Dr Laila bint Ahmed al Najjar, Minister of Social Development. The event drew prominent figures from local and Gulf communities and experts from Gulf organisations dedicated to family affairs. It also welcomed participation from individuals engaged in social matters from universities, research centres, and family-focused institutions.
The forum sought to achieve several key objectives, including sharing experiences and knowledge in family protection systems to strengthen familial cohesion and formulating a future Gulf vision to support community initiatives addressing Gulf family challenges and emphasising the importance of leveraging modern technology, including social media, to mitigate its adverse effects on family members. Proposing a framework that respects the privacy and needs of the most vulnerable family groups concerning care, rehabilitation, and integration into society and generating practical recommendations to facilitate the transfer of expertise and experiences among Council countries, thereby enhancing the Gulf family's reality.
In his speech, HE Khalid bin Ali al Sunaidi, Assistant Secretary for Economic and Development Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. He underscored the commitment of GCC leaders to family affairs in all its facets. Notably, they initiated studies to counter the negative impact of certain media on young people, entrusted the advisory body of the Supreme Council of the Sultanate of Oman to assess child culture programs and their development, and devoted attention to women and the elderly while providing essential comforts.
Al Sunaidi emphasised the GCC's continuous development and alignment with sustainable development goals, particularly in family-related areas. The GCC countries have seen a significant rise in Gulf women's participation in the workforce, with some reaching 50% representation in legislative roles and 44 per cent in administrative positions. Women also excel in areas such as education.
Furthermore, Al Sunaidi highlighted the GCC countries' commitment to children, the building blocks of their advancement. These countries have provided comprehensive services in schools, ensuring a 100 per cent availability rate, and have created an appropriate infrastructure for students with disabilities. Basic health facilities are accessible in 60 per cent of schools across the GCC nations.
Statistics from the Statistical Center for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries revealed that there are 12.6 million children under the age of fifteen in the region, with males constituting 51.1 per cent and females 48.9 per cent. 'Notably, the GCC nations have achieved remarkably low levels of human trafficking due to robust laws and legislation. The percentage of youth and adolescents possessing information and communications technology skills has increased, indicating a commitment to nurturing capable and skilled youth,' Al Sunaidid added.
Maani bint Abdullah al Busaidi, Director General of Family Development at the Ministry of Social Development, emphasised the importance of preserving Gulf society's identity, culture, and cohesive family structure. She stated that the Gulf Family Forum 2023 aimed to strengthen the Gulf family's role in society by fostering collaboration among experts, researchers, and family enthusiasts to find solutions to challenges and propose developments for the Gulf family.
Al Busaidi expressed hope that the forum would yield ideas and proposals conducive to the Gulf family's development in alignment with contemporary requirements while preserving the region's rich social values and traditions that foster cooperation, familial bonds, research, and knowledge.
On its first day, the forum witnessed three dialogue sessions. The first was titled "Gulf Family Values and Their Impact on Enhancing Family Cohesion". This session explored the role of Gulf family values in promoting familial cohesion, their impact on citizenship values in the Arab Gulf states, community institutions' contribution, and modern media's influence on instilling and developing these values.
The second is "Best Practices and Policies for Protecting the Gulf Family." This session addressed proactive protection programs for children, Gulf experiences in safeguarding families from violence, and the future vision for caring for juvenile delinquents and those at risk of delinquency in the Arab Gulf countries. The last one, titled "The Future Dimension of the Gulf Family in Light of the Digital Revolution." The final session delved into the challenges and opportunities presented by rapid technological transformations, the Gulf family's role in guiding children's use of technology and social media, and strategies to address children's addiction to digital devices.
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