Page 237 - FDF QUARTER 2 REPORT 2025 (ENGLISH)

Development Department at FDF, emphasised that the series of interactive discussion forums’
focus on this vital community group aligns with the Foundation’s recently updated mandates and
its continuous efforts to improve social services for senior citizens.
In addition, H.E. Al Baloushi pointed out that these forums seek to reinforce community
engagement in future planning, identify the service and program needs of seniors and ensure that
comprehensive, high-quality services are offered. This move comes in alignment with the vision and
directives of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, ‘Mother of the Nation,’ Chairwoman of the General
Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and
Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), who constantly supported the
provision of a supportive environment for elderly community which boost their societal role,
safeguard their dignity and ensure continued contributions.
H.E. Al Baloushi also reaffirmed that those forums stand as a vital platform for direct
communication with special community groups, ensuring a deeper understanding of their
challenges and aspirations. They offer an ideal stage for the exchange of ideas and proposals,
supporting evidence-based decision making. Such a participatory approach contributes to the
development of social policies and programs that shows the actual needs of the local community
and highlights FDF’s unwavering commitment to ensure innovation and integration in offering its
services.
In addition, H.E. Al Baloushi highlighted that FDF has employed the focus group method as a
structured tool for collecting qualitative data from participants. He explained that each session
included an introduction to the forum’s goals and pillars and division into smaller groups led by
specialised staff members to discuss specific questions leveraging a precise scientific approach.
The responses were recorded and assessed using the Mentimeter system, which helped to exhibit
results while also allowing a direct and transparent communication with attendees and enhancing
the forum’s overall result.
H.E. Al Baloushi said, “The Foundation has leveraged a comprehensive approach, merging
qualitative analysis to open-ended responses with data analysis tools to find percentages and
averages for closed-ended questions to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results. The series
commenced with the first forum held at Al Mirfa Centre in February 2025, under the theme
‘Assessing the Needs of Senior Citizens.’ The event convened 23 senior citizens and their
companions and ensured their active participation. During the session, attendees looked into
existing and proposed services and shared their perspectives and opinions transparently in a
dialogue-driven environment that promoted experience-sharing and encouraged new initiatives.”
Muneera Majid Al Ali, Director of the Research and Studies Department at FDF, said, “In line with
our relentless efforts to reinforce social monitoring and gain a broader understanding of societal
changes, we have employed a comprehensive methodology that blends both quantitative and
qualitative sources. The dialogue forums are one of our key qualitative tools, which played a pivotal
role in collecting community insights and opinions on priority socials issues.”
These sessions highlight an effective interactive approach to opening direct communication
channels with community members and key stakeholders. It enables more precise understanding
of social reality from different perspectives and contributing to the provision of more responsive
services in line with the requirements.
She added, “Apart from the forums, FDF also depends on a wide array of data sources, such as
official records, the Digital Social Observer platform, service performance outcomes, and findings

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