Successful visit by ZHO to the Russian Federation to learn about and benefit from its expertise in providing care and rehabilitation to people of determination.

ZHO expands its international strategic partnerships for the benefit of its members.

Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO) continues its international efforts to conclude international partnerships for the benefit of its members from various categories of people of determination with universities, and specialized centers and institutions. That was embodied in a visit paid by a high-level delegation headed by His Excellency Abdullah Al-Humaidan, the ZHO’s Secretary-General, accompanied by His Excellency Abdullah Al Kamali, the ZHO’s Executive Director of the People of Determination Sector and a myriad of directors of departments, to the Russian Federation’s Sverdlovsk Oblast. The visit aimed at learning about the Russian Federation’s expertise in providing care and rehabilitation to various categories of people of determination, discussing means of cooperation between the two sides in the scientific, educational, cultural and sports areas, exchanging expertise in the field of improving the lives of individuals of determination, and concluding several joint cooperation agreements and memorandums.

The visit program included the ZHO’s participation in the 2024 International Exhibition for the Social Technology Forum, representing the United Arab Emirates, as it is the only entity from outside the Russian Federation and the first Arab state to be invited to take part as the Exhibition’s guest of honor. His Excellency Abdullah Al-Humaidan participated in the session on raising the topic of caring for individuals and common family values. His Excellency presented a working paper on assistive technology, social employment, and livelihood support for people of determination, and employment and evaluation policies and initiatives in this framework.

ZHO’s expertise in integrating people of determination into the labor market, and the efforts of the State and Abu Dhabi to enhance their role in society.

His Excellency Abdullah Al-Humaidan stressed that the United Arab Emirates pays great attention to its children from various categories, especially of determination, to ensure their empowerment and integration into society and to exploit their energies in work and construction. His Excellency referred in this vein to the launch of the national policy to empower people of determination to achieve their effective participation and equal opportunities for them within an integrating society. This policy includes several axes; social protection and family empowerment, with the aim of ensuring that the rights of people of determination are not violated and protecting them from exploitation, delivering care and rehabilitation services to people of determination with severe disabilities, and the effective participation of the family in providing rehabilitation services.

His Excellency stressed that employment programs for people of determination play great part in improving social attitudes towards these groups, their abilities, and their jobs, and thus support the State’s efforts in this field, and help formulate legislation and laws that consolidate procedures aimed to improve the reality of people with disabilities in life and work. The ZHO is committed to enhancing inclusiveness in the workforce by launching initiatives that work to provide holistic opportunities to integrate people of determination into key job opportunities. Furthermore, it supports them in starting their own businesses, providing them with the necessary resources and guidance to succeed, His Excellency added.

In the working paper, His Excellency Abdullah Al-Humaidan reviewed the ZHO’s efforts to prepare and qualify its over-fifteen-year-old members to integrate into the labor market, whether at the organization or at external parties. The total number of people of determination working in the organization or subject to the organization’s supervision is 293 in 17 jobs through cooperation with 25 partners in both the public and private sectors, producing approximately 120 different products in sewing, carpentry, The Bee Café, medical supports, and prosthetic devices, His Excellency noted.

Partnership with H. Turner National Medical Research Center for Children’s Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery in Russia

ZHO concluded a memorandum of understanding with H. Turner National Medical Research Center for Children’s Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery in the Russian Federation, on enhancing cooperation and coordination in the field of exchanging expertise, raising the level of skills, and developing the capabilities of specialists from both parties in the fields of diagnosis, surgery and rehabilitation, and in cooperation and coordination studies research and dissemination of their findings, and exchanging academic resources, publications and scientific information through collaboration and engagement.

H. Turner National Medical Research Center for Children’s Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery includes a distinguished group of experts who deal with the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of children with acquired and congenital defects of the locomotor system and deformities of the musculoskeletal system and their consequences.

ZHO always seeks to conclude partnerships with the best specialized centers and institutions locally and internationally to benefit from their expertise and capabilities for the benefit of the organization’s functional cadres to serve its members, within the framework of interest in developing scientific aspects and scientific research.

Research and development cooperation in the field of psychology and psychiatry, and the launch of the Emirati-Russian Psychological Dictionary

ZHO signed a new partnership with the Ural Federal University - Russia, through mutual research and development cooperation in the field of psychology and psychiatry with the aim of enhancing cooperation between different cultures and peoples and developing and encouraging joint research and educational activities. The two parties work as co-authors to create an Emirati-Russian psychological dictionary.

The agreement is the second with the university, one of the distinguished international academic entities, one of the most important and leading universities in Russia in terms of expertise, scientific research, and diagnostic, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation mechanisms for people of determination, to benefit from the Russian university’s great expertise in ZHO’s work for the benefit of its members, and through which ZHO achieves primacy in preparing the Emirati-Russian Psychological Dictionary, the first pioneering scientific project of its kind at the local, Arab and global levels. It achieves a host of goals, including facilitating the exchange of experiences between the two countries in the field of psychological sciences, promoting the internationalization of education, developing cross-cultural cooperation, encouraging joint research and educational activities, as well as providing detailed explanations of the concepts and terminology used in the field of psychology (in Arabic and Russian) and enhancing communication and contact between psychology specialists.

Dictionary’s scientific importance

The Emirati-Russian Psychological Dictionary is an essential scientific tool in psychological research. It can enhance understanding and communication in Arabic and Russian. It also contributes to facilitating the teaching-learning and research process, and helps learners and researchers better understand psychological concepts and exchange knowledge between cultures.

The dictionary reinforces the social and cultural role of psychology in Emirati and Russian societies by providing psychological terms and concepts in Arabic and Russian to promote public awareness of mental health issues and to promote psychological care in society, especially in light of the importance of the Russian language in the field of psychology, as it is rich in specialized scientific concepts. This dictionary aims to provide accurate translation and interpretation of Russian concepts used in psychology, which plays great part in enriching scientific knowledge and exchange.

The dictionary contributes to the development of psychology in the United Arab Emirates and Russia by understanding all branches of psychological science on their theoretical foundations and their applications in practice. It also provides practical directions and guidelines for evaluating and diagnosing cases and implementing appropriate psychological treatment. It is a reliable scientific reference in determining psychological needs. The dictionary also reflects the remarkable development eyed in the history of psychology in the United Arab Emirates and Russia over different periods of time, by providing modern and contemporary psychological concepts in all branches of psychology.

Sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball games for people of determination

The sports hall in the Sverdlovsk Oblast witnessed the joint sports event between ZHO and the Russian side. It included an exhibition game between ZHO's team with mobility disabilities and the Russian sitting volleyball team of determination, and another game between the two teams in wheelchair basketball with the aim of exchanging experiences between the two sides in the sports field and providing a training course in that sport by ZHO's players to the Russian team.

The Emirati team was represented by players Saif Hilal Al-Humairi, Faisal Al-Hosani, Abdullah Al-Ghafri, and Mohammad Al-Junaibi in sitting volleyball, and in wheelchair basketball, Mohammad Al-Habsi, Mohammad Al-Hamid Al-Hashimi, Saif Hilal Al-Humairi, Eissa Al-Zubaidi, Faisal Al-Hosani, and Abdullah Al-Ghafri. The two teams were formed by mixing players between the two sides. In volleyball, each team played with three Russian players and three players from ZHO. In wheelchair basketball, a team played with three Emirati players and three players from the Russian team, and vice versa for the opposing team.

His Excellency Abdullah Al Humaidan, accompanied by His Excellency Pavel Krykov, Deputy Governor of the Sverdlovsk Oblast, presented the players with commemorative medals, and commemorative shields were exchanged among officials, in the presence of His Excellency Abdullah Al Kamali and the organization's accompanying delegation.

Visits to specialized centers

The visit program included a meeting with representatives of the National Medical Research Hospital for Pediatric Orthopedics and Trauma, a visit to the Foundation for Prosthetics and Orthotics in the Sverdlovsk Oblast, and a meeting with the chair of the foundation to discuss cooperation between the two institutions. The visit included a meeting of the foundation’s delegation with the head of the Regional Center for Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities and a visit to the center that won the Russian Quality Prize to learn about the services and programs applied and to view the center’s equipment.

ZHO's delegation visited the Cognitive Technology Center and the Equestrian Country Club to learn about the services provided to people of determination through the club and to learn about the White Horse Program and the technology applied in the rehabilitation of people of determination.