Latest news with #ShammaAlMazrui
Zawya
2 days ago
- General
- Zawya
HE Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan attends graduation of the class of 2025 at Zayed University
Abu Dhabi, UAE – Zayed University ('ZU') celebrated the graduation of the 'Future Makers' Class of 2025, recognising the achievements of 1,503 students across its Abu Dhabi and Dubai campuses. The ceremony was held over three days at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and attended by His Excellency Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; Her Excellency Shamma bint Sohail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Empowerment and Chairperson of the ZU Board of Trustees, alongside guests of honour, members of the university's Board of Trustees, prominent figures, and the families of the graduates. Her Excellency Hajer Al Thehli, Secretary General of the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council, marked the first day of the graduation ceremony as Guest of Honor, highlighting the vital role the university plays in preparing the next generation of leaders for the UAE. This year marks the 23rd cohort of graduating female students and the 13th cohort of male students. Graduates represent all seven of Zayed University's colleges, including the Colleges of Business, Communications and Media Sciences, Technological Innovation, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Natural and Health Sciences, and Arts and Creative Enterprises, as well as postgraduate programmes. His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak congratulated the graduates on their achievements, wishing them continued success and a prosperous future. He encouraged them to apply the knowledge and skills they gained in service of the UAE, its leadership, and the wider community, contributing to the nation's bright future. At the end of the ceremony, His Excellency received a gift titled 'Marhaban' (Welcome) a modern sculpture inspired by a verse from the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, blending traditional Emirati calligraphy with contemporary design to embody the values of generosity, pride, and heritage. The Class of 2025 includes a diverse group of graduates, comprising 1,234 female and 203 male undergraduates, along with 66 postgraduate students. Among them, 224 students graduated with honours across undergraduate and master's programmes. Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Community Development and Chairperson of the Zayed University Board of Trustees, congratulated the graduates and their families on their achievement, describing the ceremony as a celebration of legacy, identity, and future purpose. She said: 'True legacy isn't built by titles or applause. it's rooted in values that hold firm when no one is watching. Today's graduates carry three national trusts: skill that serves, knowledge that questions, and character that endures. The future won't be shaped by how loud we speak, but by how deeply we are rooted.' Prof. Michael Allen, Acting Vice President of Zayed University, said while addressing the audience: 'In this Year of Community, take the skills you have learned, the insights you have gained, and the ambitions you have and use them not only to build your career but to build your community. As graduates of Zayed University, you have a superpower: the ability to adapt, to grow, and to redefine yourself, again and again, as you meet the world—not with fear, but with fire.' The graduation ceremony affirms Zayed University's role in nurturing and empowering future leaders, and championing individual achievements for all students. These efforts align with the UAE Centennial 2071 vision, reinforcing the university's role in driving national progress. Zayed University takes immense pride in its graduates and congratulates the Class of 2025 and looks forward to witnessing the impact they will make on the UAE and the world. About Zayed University Zayed University, the UAE's flagship higher education institution, was established in 1998 and proudly bears the name of the Founder of the Nation – the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. In the spirit of Sheikh Zayed, the University is a pioneer and innovator in the field of education and research. The University currently caters to many Emirati and international students across its full range of undergraduate and postgraduate offerings. Led by Her Excellency Shamma Bint Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Community Empowerment and Chairperson of the Zayed University Board of Trustees, the University proudly serves the needs of the Nation and contributes to the UAE's economic, social and cultural progress from its state-of-the-art campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Through research, scholarship, creative activities and outreach, Zayed University provides educational leadership, expands opportunity, and enriches the knowledge of local, regional, and global communities. For media enquiries, please contact: Ahmed Al Majayda Media Specialist Isabelle Morton Advisor
Gulf Today
12-06-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
UAE announces inflation allowance for families with monthly income below Dhs25,000
Families with a monthly income below Dhs25,000 will receive inflation allowances tailored to the evolving economic and social conditions in the UAE, according to Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Development. The minister added that the allowances are part of the restructured Social Support Programme launched in 2022, which includes benefits based on social status, alongside social support services and inflation-related allowances. The programme targets all Emirati families with a monthly income insufficient to ensure a decent living. Besides, it targets pre-2008 retirees as low-income retirees receive support to ensure a dignified life. For retirees Over 60, according to the programme, the family breadwinner's allowance increased from Dhs5,000 to Dhs13,000. Al Mazrui added that a new Category named the "Working/Retired Category" that includes low-income working citizens and retirees was added, with decent living threshold starting at Dhs5,000, and increasing by Dhs2,000 for every ten years of work, up to Dhs13,000 for the family breadwinner. The programme includes other allowances targeting the Emirati Spouse who receives Dhs3,500 first child Dhs2,400, second and third children Dhs1,600 each, and fourth child and beyond Dhs800 each while children of determination receive Dhs5,000 and they are not counted in child order. For Inflation allowances for families with less than Dhs25,000 monthly, allowances are granted as follows: For food allowance: the primary beneficiary is granted Dhs500, the Emirati spouse is granted Dhs500 and children under 21 are granted Dhs250 each (up to 4 children). For fuel allowance (based on 95-octane fuel price): Dhs300 is granted in case price ranges between Dhs2.1–2.85/litre, Dhs600 in case price is between Dhs2.86–3.60/litre and Dhs900 in case price is above Dhs3.61/litre. The Minister pointed out that fuel allowance is granted monthly to the primary beneficiary and one Emirati spouse. Concerning electricity and water allowance, Dhs400 or equivalent to monthly consumption (whichever is lower), are granted to one residence only.
The National
13-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Emirati benefit claimants to receive training in effort to get back to work
The UAE has launched a scheme to provide training to Emiratis who are receiving financial support from the government, in an effort to help them find work. The initiative, which has already been in place for several months, was officially announced on Monday by Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Empowerment. Ms Al Mazrui said the project would empower citizens by offering them the opportunity to be productive members of the community. 'We don't want individuals to depend on the government in financial aid, but we want the person to participate [in society] and be productive," she said. While the government is always prepared to assist citizens in need, she added, now is the time for them to give back to their country. 'We want to change the mentality in society to sit back and wait for the government to solve challenges. People should take a step forward," Ms Al Mazrui said. How does the scheme work? Under the initiative, citizens on low incomes and receiving financial aid will be enrolled in courses that provide the skills they need to return to the workplace. They will continue to receive assistance during their training. 'We don't want the low-income family to survive, but to thrive. Survival alone is not an option. We want them to be prosperous families participating in society,' Ms Al Mazrui said. 'We want them to be contributors, rather than only depending on us." The UAE's social welfare programme for low-income citizens is available to Emirati families whose income is less than Dh25,000 ($6,800) a month. The programme offers Dh5,000 aid a month for citizens over the age of 45, housing allowance up to Dh2,500 a month, university education allowance of Dh3,200 a month to outstanding students and Dh5,000 a month for six months to those who are unemployed. In addition, the government offers an inflation allowance, which covers food, electricity, water and fuel costs. More than 3,800 people have already found work through the scheme, Ms Al Mazrui said. The ministry aims to empower 10,000 families to become financially independent by 2030. The ministry also hopes to increase the number of registered volunteers to 1,000,000 by 2031, from its current level of 630,000.
The National
30-04-2025
- Health
- The National
Science can change how people think to help society, conference hears
Behavioural science can be used by governments to guide decision-making, build good habits and tackle societal ills, some of the world's leading experts have said at an event in Abu Dhabi. At the inaugural Behavioural Exchange conference at NYU Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Empowerment, called for strategies that strengthen people's ability to adapt and lead. 'It's about building people who can function and thrive and lead when none of these paths exist,' she said in her opening speech. Speaking to The National, Cass Sunstein, Robert Walmsley Professor at Harvard Law School and co-author of the influential book Nudge, said governments and institutions can dramatically improve people's health and well-being through simple design choices that guide but never force better decisions. The concept behind nudge theory is to preserve freedom of choice while gently steering people towards beneficial outcomes. 'The idea is that it's possible to improve outcomes for people by nudging them without mandating anything,' he said. 'If you get information about allergens in food, you're being nudged to avoid those foods. If an airport offers clear directions to the gate or a prayer room, that's a nudge. If your printer defaults to double-sided, you're being nudged to use less paper.' Nudges, he explained, are built into everyday environments. They do not take away a person's autonomy and freedom of choice. Shops, for example, can encourage healthier diets simply by putting nutritious items at eye-level. 'All over the world, nations are using behavioural science to try to improve outcomes,' he said. 'In the UAE, there's extraordinary work being done to help people live longer, eat better, and stay safe.' Rasha Attar, director of the Behavioural Science Group, pointed to successes that demonstrated measurable change in the UAE. 'Some of our early wins that showed tangible and competent changes were in our collaboration with Nema, the national food loss initiative,' she said. 'We were able to decrease food loss across multiple different touch points and to show different stakeholders and new partners that, with simple low-cost nudges, we are able to change behaviours sustainably.' Ms Attar said the team is targeting a range of habits. 'Whether it's encouraging people to become more physically active, to be more aware of what kind of food they eat, to be healthier, these are all behaviours we love to see.' On whether simple nudges could shape long-term behaviour, she said: 'Absolutely, with the right choice, the right environment, but also the correct nudges that have been tailored to suit our particular audience? Absolutely.' She described a study implemented during Ramadan in the Emirates that focused on cutting food waste as people broke their fast, noting that it was cut by 15 per cent per diner after 'simple posters or cards with important messages about waste' were strategically located to raise awareness and trigger different behaviours. Professor David Halpern, president emeritus of the Behavioural Insights Team, said Abu Dhabi is becoming a global hub for this sort of research. 'The whole thing is bringing together leading thinkers, who try to understand human behaviour, with policymakers,' he said. Prof Halpern, often regarded as one of the pioneers of the nudge movement, said that understanding and influencing human behaviour is essential to solving today's most pressing public policy challenges, from obesity to savings habits to climate action. But nudges are only the beginning, with Prof Halpern emphasising that long-term change depends on creating new habits. 'A lot of our behaviour is driven from an almost automatic level of habit. So one of the challenges is for us to become more aware of our habits and what drives them, and that can be empowering for families or communities or countries,' he said. 'Ideally, what we're often trying to do is turn it into a new habit which sometimes even becomes part of our identity.' The conference is hosted by the Behavioural Insights Team and the Behavioural Science Group, in partnership with the Centre for Behavioural Institutional Design at NYU Abu Dhabi. Areas of discussion focus on applied behavioural sciences and how these insights can be used to aid international development, global education and change societal norms. It concludes on Thursday.
