Across most of the Arabic-speaking world, Mother’s Day is celebrated on March 21. In reality, though, the adoration of mothers is as perennial as it is primordial – twenty-four-seven, three-sixty-five, since before man began. As Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, tweeted on the evening before Mother’s Day in 2018: “For us, every day is a day to celebrate mothers, for they are an eternal source of giving. We are proud of their role in the family, community and nation, and we pray for their happiness.”
But what would make our mothers truly happy? If asked this question, I suspect many mothers would selflessly wish for their children’s happiness and wellbeing.
The UAE has made great progress in safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of the nation's children. Examples of this work include Federal Law No 3 of 2016, better known as Wadeema's law. This extensive child rights law aims to ensure that all children in the UAE can be safe and happy and has led to the establishment of various child protective entities. Continuing this tradition, last Tuesday, Abu Dhabi's Early Childhood Authority launched the World Early Years Development movement.
The WED movement is a remarkably ambitious initiative. It aims to provide innovative answers to some of the critical challenges of 21st century childhood. For example, problematic technology use, unhealthy lifestyles and how best to promote children’s emotional wellbeing. Although launched in the UAE, the aims of the WED movement are global. Many of the solutions conceived in Abu Dhabi will work equally well on distant shores. It was the poet Maya Angelou who wrote: “We are more alike… than unlike”. This statement is even more accurate when applied to children. Similarly, the Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel wrote, “human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere”. Again, a statement that is even more valid when it is children who are suffering.
Research spanning decades is unequivocal about the lifelong detrimental effects of adverse events in childhood. From bullying and parental neglect to poor nutrition, the fingerprints of early adversity are all over the social, physical and emotional problems that emerge in adolescence and adulthood. In the US, for example, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that preventing adverse events in childhood would massively reduce some of the world’s leading causes of death and disability. This includes problems such as heart disease and suicide, substance misuse and depression.
What kind of things could we do to reduce the likelihood of children experiencing abuse and neglect? Better still, what could we do to actively promote positive growth, ensuring our children are psychologically resilient and enjoying optimum levels of emotional wellbeing. Answers to such questions will need to consider the child’s entire ecosystem and environment.
One place to start, however, is school. Bullying can be one of the most negative experiences for a child to endure. At the very least, most schools pay lip service to the idea of zero-tolerance for bullying. However, such a reactive and basic stance is no longer good enough. For me, schools should be more closely rated and ranked on how much they actively do to promote kindness and compassion among the whole school community. Children learn implicitly; if they see adults mistreating each other, it is no surprise that they too learn how to be unkind. There is a saying in Arabic, al-hilm qabl al-ilm: kindness before learning. Our schools would be wise to adopt this motto.
Another wellbeing innovation, one that has gained considerable prominence in recent years, is mindfulness. An attention training technique, mindfulness is used to explore emotions and reduce stress reactivity. This evidence-based approach to wellbeing has proven effective across a broad range of contexts, from reducing relapse in recurrent clinical depression to enhancing creativity and innovation. The UK's mindfulness in schools project was started in 2009 and aimed to make a difference in the lives of a generation of children by positively impacting their mental health and wellbeing. MiSP is on target to have taught over a million children practical mindfulness skills by 2025.
The UAE has made great progress in safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of the nation's children
Also related to the work of MiSP, mindfulness will become part of the national school curriculum in Wales from September 2022. In preparation, all education professionals in Wales will be allowed to attend an eight-week adult mindfulness course. This is the most crucial part of the initiative for me: teachers becoming more mindful and compassionate, especially those working in primary school. Children learn their emotional responses, including kindness, by watching their elders.
Another innovation we might consider within the school context is an idea that I call the biophilic classroom. Biophilia is an idea popularised by Harvard naturalist Dr Edward Osborne Wilson. His central argument is that humans have an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and that the natural world soothes us. Classroom design should strive to be biophilic, using natural materials such as bare wood and stone, while also incorporating diverse forms of plant life. Such an environment can only impact the wellbeing of children and adults for the better.
If we want to honour mothers and make them happy, let’s think of innovative ways to promote their children’s mental health.
Justin Thomas is a professor of psychology at Zayed University and a columnist for The National
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
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7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
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Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
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Country: Galway, Ireland
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
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Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
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Sector: EdTech
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Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
