DUBAI, 28th August, 2019

The National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing concluded the interactive camps for promoting children’s digital safety.

The camps were organised and delivered as part of the Child Digital Safety Initiative, which aims at enhancing digital wellbeing in the UAE society, and is part of the National Wellbeing Strategy 2031, which was recently approved by the Council of Ministers under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The Child Digital Safety initiative is executed with the support and under the sponsorship of Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

The Child Digital Safety Initiative aims to support parents in safeguarding their children’s digital life by raising awareness around key digital risks and equipping them with tools and practical advices to allow them to navigate safely within a child-friendly digital world. The initiative relies on four main components, namely: children interactive camps, comprehensive digital platform around digital safety, parents training workshops, and the digital safety hotline.

Organised in cooperation with several government entities including the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), the interactive camps represent a significant effort within the Child Digital Safety Initiative. It aims to promote the digital wellbeing of the UAE school students, increase their awareness using innovative approaches and tools, and provide them with the skills for a meaningful and positive usage of the Internet. It also aims to introduce students to applicable laws in the UAE which provide a legal safety net when needed, and create a positive digital footprint and encourages purposeful digital communities.

Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, the Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing and the Director General of the Prime Minister's Office said that promoting digital wellbeing is an integral part of the UAE’s National Wellbeing 2031. She noted the importance of promoting digital safety of children, providing them with the necessary skills, and assisting parents in understanding the threats of the digital world, along with the means to counter them in order to better manage the digital life of their children.

The camps focused on eight main topics including; Online Bullying, Digital Footprint, Digital Ethics, Online Time Management, Exposure to Inappropriate Content, Social Media, Digital Privacy, and explaining Digital Safety Protection laws in the UAE.