Sharjah's Social Services Department (SSD) has shared the emirate's age-friendly city model with senior officials at Kuwait's Ministry of Health, marking a significant step toward expanding the Arab world's presence in the WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities.
Sharjah Delegation Presents Age-Friendly City Model in Kuwait
The SSD delegation was led by Ahmed Al Meel, Director of the Social Services Department at the Government of Sharjah, and accompanied by Asma Al Khodari, Director of Sharjah Age-Friendly Cities. Together they presented Sharjah's model as the first Arab age-friendly city to Kuwait's public health officials.
The talks centred on Sharjah's accreditation into the World Health Organisation's Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities, achieved under the leadership of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. The delegation also outlined Sharjah's strategic plan for 2024–2026, which includes a wide range of initiatives to enhance the quality of life for seniors — spanning healthcare services and broader community support programmes.
Workshop to Build Kuwait's Age-Friendly Framework
A dedicated workshop formed a key part of the visit, focused on developing a broad framework for Kuwait's own age-friendly city programme. The discussions covered how global best-practice standards for elderly care can be adapted and implemented within Kuwait's existing legal and legislative environment.
Field visits were also conducted to help shape recommendations for making Kuwait's senior services more effective and accessible.
Al Meel highlighted Kuwait's strong built environment and its readiness to join the global network of age-friendly cities. Dr. Fatima Bin Dhufari, Director of Senior Services at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health, affirmed Kuwait's commitment to supporting its senior citizens through policy and legislation that meet international elder-friendly standards.
Bilateral Momentum for Arab Elder-Care Cooperation
The visit reflects a shared commitment by both the UAE and Kuwait to raise the quality of life for their ageing populations — and signals a broader ambition to encourage other Arab cities to join the age-friendly city movement.
Sharjah's participation in the WHO Global Network since 2016 has made it a regional model, with the emirate now actively guiding Gulf neighbours toward achieving similar recognition. The Kuwait engagement is the latest example of Sharjah exporting its senior-care expertise across the Arab world.
