Abu dhabi: Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood (SCMC), and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), the SCMC announced the launch of the 'Child Media Award 2026.'
According to Emirates News Agency, the award is introduced in cooperation with the Department of Family and Childhood within the Social Affairs Sector of the League of Arab States, and with the support of the UAE Media Council, in implementation of the recommendation issued by the 29th session of the Arab Childhood Committee held on 18 September 2025.
The award aims to encourage media institutions and individuals to produce innovative, high-quality Arabic content that serves children's issues, contributes to building a responsible media environment that supports children's rights, and promotes human and social values. It also seeks to highlight the influential role of media in shaping generations' awareness and creating a positive narrative around children's issues, in addition to showcasing the pioneering efforts of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak in supporting and empowering children at both the Arab and international levels.
The award seeks to fill a clear gap in the landscape of Arab awards, particularly as no specialised institutional-level award exists in the Arab world that focuses on child-directed media under the umbrella of the League of Arab States. Most existing awards concentrate on general literary or cultural output, without explicitly addressing the role of media in shaping the awareness of the Arab child.
In this context, the importance of the award lies in representing a qualitative step that fills this gap by providing a structured competitive framework with a unified regional dimension that enhances the value of child-focused media work. The award contributes to strengthening Arab identity and shared values, with clear distinctiveness through its focus on works produced in the Arabic language, ensuring that Arab identity remains at the heart of the creative and media process.
The award draws from international conventions and treaties related to children's rights, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and adds an Arab dimension that reflects the region's cultural and social specificity. It not only adheres to international standards but also provides a unified Arab framework that positions child-focused media as a tool to protect rights and simultaneously embody authentic Arab values.
Entries submitted across the award's categories will be evaluated by a specialised committee selected in cooperation with the Media and Communication Sector and the Family and Childhood Department within the Social Affairs Sector at the League of Arab States. This ensures transparency, neutrality, and the adoption of the highest professional and technical standards in the judging process.
Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Office and Chairman of the UAE Media Council, stated that the launch of the Child Media Award marks a leading Arab milestone reflecting deep awareness of the importance of investing in future generations. He expressed pride that the UAE is the supporter of this pioneering Arab initiative under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.
For her part, Reem bint Abdullah Al Falasi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, highlighted that launching this award from the UAE, in partnership with the League of Arab States and under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, affirms the UAE's commitment to supporting childhood as a humanitarian and developmental priority. She pointed to the rapid changes the Arab region has witnessed in recent years in the media landscape due to the digital revolution.
Arab Ministers of Information had approved, at the conclusion of the 55th session of the Council of Arab Information Ministers held at the League of Arab States headquarters, the adoption of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak's initiative to give the Child Media Award a broad Arab dimension, reflecting its social, educational, and developmental significance.