28 OCTOBER 2024: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week will open tomorrow (29 October) at Erth Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

Over five days, the event will gather regional and international multi-disciplinary experts, partners, and disruptors driving innovation and advocacy, fostering collaboration to catalyse cross-sector change for early childhood development (ECD).

Day One will kick off with ECD Innovation Day, gathering more than 30 multi-disciplinary experts to discuss key themes of building ecosystems, spotlighting startups and exploring emerging tech. The immersive day will spotlight innovative startups, share insights from their founders, and feature solutions from six companies focused on families and children in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Additionally, it will unveil technological advancements that are transforming the education, sports, family healthcare, and entertainment sectors, supporting efforts to create impactful changes that enhance user experiences and outcomes.

Running alongside this will be the first of the three-day ECD Research Convening (29-31 October), an interactive platform designed to inspire researchers and strengthen cooperation and innovation between them. It will welcome researchers from the UAE, Arab region and Africa, to tackle challenges and explore opportunities to create a more representative science of early childhood development.

On October 30, the two-day World Early Childhood Development Forum (WED Forum) will commence, bringing participants from a diverse range of sectors together to shape actionable outcomes and drive innovation to advance the local and international ECD agenda.

Running in parallel will be a series of city-wide activations led by key partners including National Academy for Childhood Development, Mubadala, ADQ, Aldar, E&, MODON, Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, ADNOC, Pure Health, Emirates Foundation, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi Department of Health, Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, Abu Dhabi Media Network and Erth.

The week will also feature the second edition of The Early Childhood Development Fair (31 October – 2 November) at Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi, which is sponsored by the National Academy for Childhood Development and aims to create an interactive environment for members of the community to engage with leading providers of educational and recreational programs, services, and activities.

For more information and registration, visit WED Media Registration.