Senior Citizens in the UAE: The Generations That Founded the Union and Built Its Institutions

Dr Salem Abdullah Al Nuaimi · 30 October 2026

Senior Emiratis sharing their experience with a younger generation

The progress the United Arab Emirates has achieved since the union was established in 1971 is not the product of economic and construction projects alone. It is the result of the efforts of generations who took part in founding the state, building its institutions, developing its services and preserving its identity. The founding rulers, the first officials, teachers, doctors, merchants and pioneering women all helped turn limited resources into institutions and services that became part of everyday life.

Today's senior citizens are an extension of that experience. Many of them worked alongside the founders, lived through the transition from traditional life to a modern state, and carry first-hand knowledge of the challenges society faced and how they were overcome. This article looks at figures with a documented historical or institutional role and an achievement whose impact can be traced, some of whom have passed away and some of whom are still with us. It then turns to what this means for the rights of senior citizens today.

The Founding Generation: From the Idea of Union to Building a State

From the time the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan became Ruler of Abu Dhabi on 6 August 1966, his efforts focused on developing basic services and improving people's lives, while working towards unity among the emirates.

On 18 February 1968, Sheikh Zayed met the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, then Ruler of Dubai, and the two agreed to form a union between their emirates and to invite the other emirates to join. That agreement was the step that led to the declaration of the United Arab Emirates on 2 December 1971 with six emirates, followed by Ras Al Khaimah on 10 February 1972.

The founding fathers' achievement did not stop at a political agreement. It extended to building a state with a constitution, federal institutions and defined powers, while preserving each emirate's local administration. Sheikh Zayed directed resources to education, health, housing and infrastructure, and within a few decades the country moved from services of limited reach to a comprehensive institutional system.

Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum: The Economic and Commercial Base

The late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai from 1958, played a central role in building the economic infrastructure that turned Dubai into a hub for trade and services. His vision rested on ports, public utilities and transport.

Among the most prominent projects of his era were Port Rashid, opened in 1972, and Jebel Ali Port, opened in 1979.

The importance of these two projects went beyond building maritime facilities.

They expanded the capacity to receive ships, supported imports and re-exports, and later gave rise to free zones and logistics services. They are a clear example of long-term achievement: a decision taken at one moment can open the way for investment and jobs that continue for decades.

Ahmed Khalifa Al Suwaidi: Building the National Diplomatic Service

Alongside the founding rulers, Emirati officials took on founding responsibilities in the state's early years. Among the most prominent is His Excellency Ahmed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates. The new state needed a service to represent it abroad and manage its relations with other states and international organisations, and Al Suwaidi helped build that service and establish the country's political presence during the founding period.

Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak: From Women's Initiatives to Institutional Work

Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the "Mother of the Nation", is one of the national figures most closely associated with the development of women's and family work in the country. The Abu Dhabi Women's Renaissance Society was founded in 1973, and the General Women's Union was established on 27 August 1975 under her chairmanship, bringing women's associations together in a single national framework that supports education, training, community participation and the preservation of heritage.

The significance of this experience lies in turning support for women from scattered initiatives into institutional work with goals and programmes. Nor was it the work of one leader alone: pioneering women from across the emirates took part, and their role deserves further documentation through association records and oral testimony.

Taryam and Abdullah Omran: Journalism, Education and Service to the Union

The brothers Taryam Omran Taryam and Dr. Abdullah Omran Taryam illustrate the many roles taken on by the founding generation. On 19 October 1970, the first issue of Al Khaleej, the newspaper they founded, was published. It was one of the national media ventures that preceded the union, and its publishing house still operates today.

Taryam Omran represented the country as ambassador to Egypt and to the Arab League, and later served as Speaker of the Federal National Council from 1977. Dr.

Abdullah Omran served as Minister of Justice in the first federal government (1971–1972), then as Minister of Education (1972–1979), where he contributed to curriculum development and adult education, and returned as Minister of Justice from 1990 to 1997.

Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi: Investing in Education and Culture

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, exemplifies the role leadership can play in building educational and cultural institutions. The University of Sharjah was founded on his initiative in October 1997 and has since expanded into engineering, sciences, medicine, pharmacy, law and the humanities, alongside research and community service. Investment in higher education does not show its results immediately, but its impact extends across generations of graduates and researchers.

Juma Al Majid: From Business to Preserving Knowledge

The businessman Juma Al Majid is an example of the private sector's contribution to education and culture. He founded the Charitable Private Schools in 1983, the College of Islamic and Arabic Studies in Dubai in 1987, and in 1991 the Juma Al Majid Center for Culture and Heritage, which collects, preserves and makes available books, manuscripts and documents for researchers. His experience shows how business expertise and private resources can be used to create public-benefit institutions that outlive their founders.

Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi: Preserving Social Memory Through Poetry

The contribution of the pioneering generations was not limited to government and economic institutions; it extended to literature. One of the most notable examples is the late poet Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi, known as "Fatat Al Arab" (the Girl of Arabia), one of the leading figures of Emirati Nabati poetry. Her poems addressed social, humane and national themes and became part of a literary heritage that preserves the language and values of society, and that can serve literary and linguistic studies and heritage programmes.

Teachers, Doctors, Civil Servants and Merchants: The Unseen Collective Achievement

The picture of nation-building is not complete with well-known figures alone.

Generations of teachers, doctors, nurses, civil servants, engineers, merchants and craftspeople turned plans into tangible services. The first teachers taught, ran schools and encouraged families to educate their sons and daughters; health workers provided care at a time when facilities were limited; the first civil servants organised records and procedures and ran government departments; and merchants and tradespeople sustained economic activity before and after the union. Women also played important productive and social roles in the family, crafts and education.

Institutions do not run on decisions alone, but on people who implement, manage and keep services going. This is why it matters to document these citizens' experiences through institutional records, photographs and oral interviews, so that their contributions are recorded accurately.

From Recognising Achievement to Guaranteeing Rights

The UAE has seen a shift in how institutions view senior citizens, moving from a focus on care to a broader concept based on quality of life, participation and drawing on their experience. In October 2018, the government launched the National Policy for Senior Emiratis and adopted the term "senior citizens" (kibar al-muwatinin) in place of "the elderly" (kibar al-sinn). The policy has seven pillars:

healthcare, social connection and active living, harnessing capabilities and civic participation, infrastructure and transport, financial stability, safety and security, and future quality of life.

In 2019, Federal Law No. (9) on the Rights of Senior Citizens was issued, establishing a legal framework to protect the rights of citizens aged sixty and over, including autonomy, privacy, care and protection from abuse. Its executive regulations followed in Cabinet Resolution No. (9) of 2021. The significance of this framework is that it recognises senior citizens as rights-holders, not merely as beneficiaries of social services.

How Can We Draw on Senior Citizens' Experience Today?

Recognition of senior citizens' achievements can be turned into practical programmes that link their experience to the needs of society:

Mentoring and passing on expertise: retired teachers can take part in educational mentoring, and merchants and craftspeople can pass their professional knowledge on to young people.

Documenting institutional history: former employees can help record the history of the institutions they worked in.

Oral history projects: universities and cultural institutions can conduct documented interviews with senior citizens and collect related photographs and papers, with informed consent, respect for privacy, and the opportunity for participants to review their testimony before publication.

Taking part in today's issues: their participation need not be limited to recalling the past; it can include contributing to questions of family, education, work and communication between generations.

Conclusion

The UAE's journey shows that building the state was a cumulative effort involving the founding leadership, the first generations of officials and workers, and members of society. Its results can be seen in institutions that still operate, services that have developed, and opportunities in education and work that have grown across generations.

Doing justice to senior citizens, however, is not limited to remembering their achievements. It requires documenting their experiences, safeguarding their rights, and giving them opportunities to participate and pass on their knowledge. When we preserve their experiences and learn from their knowledge, we do not preserve the past alone; we strengthen society's ability to understand its present and build its future.

References and Sources

Sources marked (Arabic) are published in Arabic; titles have been translated.

1. UAE Government Official Portal – The Founding Fathers of the Union (Arabic). u.ae

2. UAE Government Official Portal – History of the UAE (Arabic). u.ae

3. Emarat Al Youm – "45 Years Since the Opening of the Port and 40 Since the Free Zone" (Jebel Ali Port), 26 February 2025 (Arabic). emaratalyoum.com

4. Emarat Al Youm – "Marking 50 Years Since Its Opening" (Port Rashid), 6 October 2022 (Arabic). emaratalyoum.com

5. General Women's Union – Official website. gwu.ae

6. Emarat Al Youm – "Taryam Omran: A Shining Mark in the Nation's Memory", 6 April 2026 (Arabic). emaratalyoum.com

7. Al Khaleej – "Abdullah Omran: An Honourable Life and a Record of Giving", 30 January 2026 (Arabic). alkhaleej.ae

8. University of Sharjah – History of UoS. sharjah.ac.ae

9. Juma Al Majid Center for Culture and Heritage – Biography and achievements. almajidcenter.org

10. UAE Government Official Portal – The National Policy for Senior Emiratis (Arabic). u.ae

11. Federal Law No. (9) of 2019 on the Rights of Senior Citizens (Arabic). uaelegislation.gov.ae

12. Cabinet Resolution No. (9) of 2021 on the Executive Regulations of the Law on the Rights of Senior Citizens. uaelegislation.gov.ae

Disclaimer and Legal Rights

This article is provided for awareness, education and general knowledge purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or a binding legal opinion, and it is not a substitute for consulting the legislation in force, official sources or the competent authorities where needed. The views and analysis expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of any official body.