Page 179 - FDF PR REPORT - JUNE 2025 (ENGLISH)_Neat

conducted, engaging 154 senior citizens, their companions and partners. This initiative
underscores the pivotal role of elderly people in designing social services to serve them.

These forums seek to improve community participation in future planning processes, understand
the needs of senior citizens for programs and services and create supporting policies for elderly
community in collaboration with strategic partners. Furthermore, it evaluates the preparedness of
families to meet the psychological, health and social needs of senior citizens while contributing to
creating comprehensive, high-quality services in line with FDF's dedication to support this
significant category of society.

His Excellency Abdulrahman Al Baloushi, Director of the Strategic Planning and Institutional
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

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