Wednesday 04 / November / 2026
Muscat — The activities of the conference titled "The Family Institution Between Identity and Digital Challenges," organized under the theme "For a Dignified Sustainable Life for All," opened today.
The opening was held under the auspices of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Al Shamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development for Family and Community Development Affairs.
The two-day conference discusses the most prominent issues and challenges facing the family amidst rapid social and digital transformations. It also focuses on ways to enhance family cohesion and its ability to keep pace with variables, supporting family stability, consolidating identity and values, and supporting quality of life, economic empowerment, and family sustainability.
The conference witnesses the participation of a number of experts and specialists in family and community affairs from seven Arab countries, alongside representatives from government entities and civil society associations.
Sayyida Maani Abdullah Al Busaidi, Director General of Family Development at the Ministry of Social Development, emphasized in her opening speech the Ministry's commitment to the family as the primary institution in building the human being and the main incubator for instilling values, promoting identity, and developing a balanced personality.
She explained that the success of the digital upbringing ecosystem can only be achieved through integrated partnerships in which responsibilities are shared among government institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector. This enhances role integration and unifies efforts toward a common goal: building a generation that possesses digital competence, ethical awareness, and national belonging.
She pointed out that responsibility today is not limited to preparing a generation skilled in using technology alone, but extends to building generations that possess the awareness enabling them to utilize technology to serve the nation, contribute to its renaissance, and preserve its identity.
For his part, Prof. Dera' Mo'jab Al Dawsari, President of the International Federation for Training and Development, explained in his speech that the true success of a family is not measured by the absence of disagreements, but by its ability to manage differences with awareness, wisdom, and emotional intelligence. He noted that the higher the level of emotional awareness among family members, the greater their ability to achieve understanding, tolerance, and confront challenges.
He stressed that investing in family stability is, in reality, an investment in society's security and the future of generations. A cohesive society cannot be built without conscious families, nor can a successful generation be prepared without a safe and stimulating family environment. He praised the efforts exerted by the Sultanate of Oman in paying attention to family values and enhancing societal cohesion, emphasizing that the rectitude of the family is the true beginning of the rectitude of society.
