Global milestone: Sharjah earns advanced status in WHO age-friendly network

Sharjah has achieved a new global milestone by securing advanced affiliate membership in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities.

This significant step reflects the emirate’s ongoing commitment to enhancing quality of life for older adults and providing an inclusive, supportive environment for people of all ages, aligned with its vision of a cohesive society that places human wellbeing at the forefront.

This transition from basic membership to advanced affiliate status comes as a result of the emirate’s pioneering social models and its implementation of the WHO’s high standards. With this recognition, Sharjah becomes an accredited and trusted reference for the organisation and a destination for cities worldwide seeking to learn from its experience.

The achievement strengthens Sharjah’s position as a regional hub for technical support and expertise, having previously shared its experience with Oman and Kuwait, and exchanged practices with Saudi Arabia and Qatar-demonstrating its leadership in the field.

On this occasion, Maryam Majid Saeed Al Shamsi, Director of Sharjah Social Services Department, congratulated the wise leadership, emphasising that the achievement reflects Sharjah’s humanitarian and civilisational approach under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who has made people the centre of development and considers nurturing and empowering them the optimal investment in the future of societies.

She noted that Sharjah has, for decades, prioritised all segments of society, launching pioneering initiatives and programmes to provide them with a supportive, integrated environment rooted in the belief that caring for them is a societal and humanitarian duty.

The emirate continues to achieve notable progress through its human-centred programmes across all age groups, adopting a comprehensive strategy and precise framework for an inclusive infrastructure that specifically supports older adults and enables them to live active, fulfilling lives.

Al Shamsi added that the advanced affiliate status will allow Sharjah to play a pivotal role regionally and globally in sharing expertise and transferring knowledge. She affirmed that Sharjah will spare no effort in offering its experience to countries seeking to develop their action plans and programmes for supporting older adults, reinforcing its standing as a global model.

Asma Al Khudari, Director of the Sharjah Age-friendly City Office, explained that Sharjah joined the Global Network for Age-friendly Cities in 2016, which enabled the emirate to develop comprehensive action plans and implement specialised initiatives aimed at enhancing the wellbeing of older adults.

She said that achieving advanced affiliate status in 2024 represents a higher level of commitment to international standards and enables the emirate to participate more actively in global forums, exchange insights, and support other cities across the region and the world in developing their age-friendly programmes.

Al Khudari added that this new phase offers vast opportunities for international recognition of Sharjah’s leadership and for advancing local policies in line with global best practice, in addition to building strategic partnerships with institutions and stakeholders worldwide. She also highlighted that Sharjah is the first Arab city within this global network.

She affirmed that this stage will allow the emirate to provide technical support to other cities, sharing the knowledge and experience gained over previous years. Sharjah aims to become a regional centre for the exchange of expertise and best practice in age-friendly urban development.

Al Khudari noted that advanced affiliate status is not the culmination of Sharjah’s efforts but the beginning of a new phase of integrated institutional work that seeks to elevate the quality of life for older adults and establish Sharjah-and the UAE-as a global exemplar in this field.
WAM