Abu dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) has announced that the upcoming edition of Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week will be held from 16th to 22nd November 2026, under the theme 'Together We Can Make Abu Dhabi a Family-Friendly Emirate'. This announcement comes in the wake of the successful 2025 edition, which took place across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Al Dhafra.
According to Emirates News Agency, the 2025 event was supported by prominent partners, including ADNOC as the Energy Partner, the National Academy for Childhood Development as the Visionary Partner, and PureHealth as the Health Partner. The Department of Municipalities and Transport and the Department of Culture and Tourism also played vital roles as Strategic Partners.
During the 2025 Week, Sana bint Mohamed bin Suhail, Minister of Family and Director-General of ECA, visited Danat Al Emarat Hospital on World Children's Day, extending congratulations to the parents of newborns and emphasizing the significance of early childhood. Her itinerary also included a visit to Emirates Humanitarian City, where she interacted with 130 young children and their families.
The 2025 edition featured more than 300 community activities, delivered by over 70 partners, drawing over 65,000 attendees and accumulating approximately 55,000 participation hours. The awareness campaign 'Their Early Years Matter' reached an impressive 109 million views and saw more than 862,000 engagements.
Moreover, 600 copies of the Parents' Mental Wellbeing Guidelines were distributed to promote mental wellbeing and positive family practices. In partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), the Parent Pack was disseminated to parents across the Emirate through 257 schools, 235 nurseries, and 37 charter schools.
Looking forward, the 2026 Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week will host the WED Forum, the flagship event of the World Early Childhood Development (WED) Movement. This global platform will convene leaders, experts, and innovators to explore the future of early childhood development.