Policies and programmes to promote child well-being in the Gulf countries

ABSTRACT

This article provides a review of policies and programmes to promote child well-being in the Gulf Countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates). An overview is provided of the international agenda (e.g. the Sustainable Development Goals) and national strategies as they provide broad policy frameworks in which country-specific programmes are designed to work toward the policy goals. Challenges to child well-being and gaps in programmes to promote child well-being in the Gulf countries are related to child disabilities; regional disparities; enforcement, monitoring, and evaluation; and multisectoral coordination. Recommendations are provided to promote child well-being in seven domains: (1) physical health; (2) behavioural adjustment; (3) psychological well-being; (4) social relationships with parents, peers, and non-family adults; (5) safety; (6) cognitive well-being; (7) economic security.

KEYWORDS:

• Child well-being
• Gulf countries
• policies
• programmes
• safety

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the support of Ms. Noor Al Malki Al Jehani, Executive Director of Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and without whose support this research would not have been possible.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.