Inaugural Festival of Health launched in Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), in collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), has introduced the emirate’s first Festival of Health, a multi-week public event focused on promoting healthier daily habits. Centred on four themes—movement, nutrition, sleep, and mental wellbeing—the Festival will be held across three weekends in Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra, and Al Ain: 12–16 December at Hudayriyat Island; 19–21 December at Madinat Zayed Park, Al Dhafra; and 26–28 December at Al Jahili Park, Al Ain.

The Festival is one of the early initiatives linked to Abu Dhabi’s Healthy Living Strategy, recently approved by His Highness Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. The Strategy outlines a cross-sector approach to supporting healthier lifestyles across the emirate.

Each weekend will feature a range of activities, including movement challenges, nutrition workshops, cooking demonstrations, wellbeing consultations, fitness sessions, family activities, and a Health Hub highlighting contributions from partners. The programme encourages residents to explore practical ways to incorporate healthier habits into everyday life.

The Festival brings together organisations from government, healthcare, education, sport, and the private sector, reflecting Abu Dhabi’s broader focus on prevention, community health, and improving health literacy.

Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said the initiative provides an opportunity to translate the aims of the Healthy Living Strategy into community-level action, offering residents tools and experiences to support their wellbeing.

The launch comes amid ongoing global and regional concerns around lifestyle-related health issues. Childhood and adolescent obesity has risen significantly over recent decades, and noncommunicable diseases remain major causes of mortality worldwide. In the UAE, more than half of children and adolescents do not meet recommended activity levels. The Festival seeks to address these issues by offering guidance and activities that support more active and health-conscious routines.

Dr Rashed Alsuwaidi, Director General of ADPHC, said the Festival aims to provide an accessible environment for people of all ages to learn about and engage in activities that support healthier living, while fostering collaboration across sectors.