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Zayed Higher Organisation launches Al-Wathiqa for Children podcast by people of determination
5 Aug 2025 13:17
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)The Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination has announced a new expansion of its flagship national initiative - the Al-Wathiqa Programmme - to include children and youth of determination as both authors and launch falls under the UAE's 2025 Year of Community initiatives, themed 'Hand in Hand". It reflects the UAE's commitment to placing people of determination at the heart of the nation's cultural and intellectual life, and reaffirms the Zayed Higher Organisation's leadership in truly sustainable empowerment for the Al Wathiqa Programme aims to document history while presenting a platform for nurturing a new generation of national storytellers with determination—individuals who can articulate the national identity and craft collective memory in a contemporary enhanced Al-Wathiqa for Children builds on the success of its first season, which featured 25 short episodes professionally delivered by five presenters of determination, creating a unique national model for leveraging media to empower the community and chronicle shining moments from UAE this new edition, episode scripts are penned by Abdullah Ahmed Rashid Al-Dhahnani—winner of the 2025 Arab Reading Challenge for People of Determination—who transitions from avid reader to historian-author, alongside Sultan Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Bloushi, winner of the 'As I See Myself' competition, whose work combines literary sensitivity with a sustainable social voice-over is led by three inspiring young talents of determination from media, arts, and sports:Shamma Ali Saif Al-Mansouri, the promising media voice with Williams SyndromeMaryam Sumaid'a Al-Wahoba, a theatrical talent who has overcome challenges with a moving artistic voiceThani Saeed Al-Dhaheri, a sports champion proving that empowerment begins on the field and extends to the media stage
Beyond recounting historical events, this project reimagines the national identity through heritage stories told in child-friendly language—and presented by children themselves. This approach deepens national belonging and solidifies the principle of active participation by people of determination in shaping the Emirati narrative. It reflects the Organization's vision of moving beyond care and rehabilitation to creating genuine leadership roles for people of determination across culture, media, and knowledge sectors.
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Abdulla Abdulalee Al-Humaidan, Secretary-General of Zayed Higher Organisation, said: 'We believe that true empowerment is only achieved when we provide future generations of people of determination with the tools of expression, the spaces of influence, and platforms for authentic presence. Al-Wathiqa is not just a podcast; it is a strategic project to sketch a future narrated in their voices and written by their hands.'He added: 'Engaging children and youth in writing and presentation is an investment in the future, and an affirmation that every different voice is part of the nation's voice. This transformation reflects our belief that people of determination are not merely a target audience—they are the message-makers and its conveyors to society and to generations to come.'The Al-Wathiqa podcast continues the knowledge partnership between the Zayed Higher Organisation and Trends Research & Advisory Center to ensure content accuracy, and bolster its educational and historical credibility, making the project a comprehensive model of knowledge, media empowerment, and community acts as a dynamic national-storytelling institution, where the stories of the homeland are told in the authentic voices of children of determination, in a language close to their hearts, strengthening their sense of belonging and opening the door for them to shape the collective consciousness of future generations.
Through this initiative, the Zayed Higher Organisation continues its pioneering role in building a more inclusive society, reshaping the concepts of empowerment, history, and identity by those who embody unwavering will, renewed hope, and unbounded creativity.
Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
