Abu Dhabi DCD Honours Wyakom Winners with 4 Social Ideas

The Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development (DCD) has honoured the winning projects of the fourth cycle of the Wyakom initiative, after the judging phase and final presentations were completed before a specialised committee.

This year’s cycle received strong community participation. A total of 199 ideas and projects were submitted by individuals from different age groups. The submissions were focused on three key themes: Growth, Prosperity, and Leadership.

The winning projects were recognised for supporting the goals of Wyakom, an innovation platform that promotes practical and sustainable solutions to improve quality of life in Abu Dhabi. The initiative is also aligned with the priorities of the Year of Community 2025, reflecting DCD’s efforts to encourage social innovation, strengthen community participation, and support sustainable development.

Winners of Wyakom Cycle 4

A total of four projects were awarded across the top three positions:

1st Place: Ask Baseera

First place went to Dr Mai Mohammed for the Ask Baseera initiative.
It is a smart and secure platform designed for adolescent girls, providing trusted health information and confidential answers to their questions. The platform is supervised by specialised female doctors and aims to improve health awareness and psychological support during a key stage of development.

2nd Place: LEGO – Empowering Youth of Determination

Second place was awarded to Saira Gulamani for the initiative LEGO – Empowering Youth of Determination in the UAE.
The project is an educational platform that enables Emirati youth of determination to lead creative and interactive LEGO-based learning sessions for senior citizens. It helps strengthen communication and leadership skills and encourages positive intergenerational engagement. The award was received on her behalf by Yash Chopra.

Joint 3rd Place (First Time in Wyakom History)

For the first time since the initiative began, two projects jointly shared third place.

• Sanad Squad, by Anya Mariam
  A weekly youth-led support circle in Abu Dhabi, supervised by mentors and trainers specialised in youth and adolescent development. The initiative provides safe spaces for adolescents, aiming to improve psychological and social well-being and build sustainable support networks.

• Heritage with a New Voice, by Sara Al Nahdi and Hussain Al Mansoori
  This initiative empowers people of determination to learn traditional Emirati crafts using modern approaches that combine sound, touch, and artificial intelligence. It is designed to meet auditory, visual, and mobility needs while preserving Emirati heritage in a contemporary format for younger generations.

DCD Officials Speak on Wyakom’s Impact

Dr Arif Al Hammadi, Acting Director-General of Strategic and Digital Affairs at DCD, said the department is pleased to honour the winners, especially as the cycle coincides with the conclusion of the Year of Community. He added that since the platform was launched in 2022, Wyakom has remained inclusive, allowing direct community engagement and supporting decision-makers in shaping policies and programmes that improve quality of life.

He also confirmed that implementable ideas will be studied with partners and relevant entities across different sectors, with the goal of turning them into practical solutions for a more stable and sustainable society.

Dr Yousif Al Zaabi, Director of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at DCD, said the winners reflect the strong quality of ideas submitted in the fourth cycle. He highlighted the creativity and awareness shown by youth and children in developing practical solutions that meet community needs.

He congratulated the winners and praised all participants, stating that their contributions are valuable and deserve recognition.

Next Step: Implementation Support

DCD confirmed that the winning projects will receive support to move into the implementation phase. This will help transform innovative ideas into real community initiatives that strengthen social development and encourage participation and social responsibility across Abu Dhabi.