The Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi has partnered with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council to incorporate the Where Life Pulses programme into this year’s summer sports schedule. More than 80 child and youth entrepreneurs will showcase their projects and manage their own market stalls, according to an announcement from the Abu Dhabi Media Office. The initiative transforms public spaces into interactive community hubs where participants can sell products or offer services such as photography and other skill-based activities. This hands-on approach allows young people to gain practical business exposure while receiving support from their families and the wider community.
Previous activations of the initiative took place in Al Aamerah district in April and later in Zakher District in Al Ain, DCD records show. Those events ran for several days in local parks with evening hours to maximise family participation. The current summer edition extends from July 24 to August 9, building on the successes of earlier rollouts by increasing the number of young participants involved. The authority described the series as interactive mobile activations aimed at creating vibrant community experiences.
The programme’s mission centres on empowering children and youth to lead their own projects and experiences, the department stated. By fostering an environment of creativity and responsibility, it aims to contribute to the development of practical skills that can benefit the participants in their future endeavours. Strategic partners play a key role in delivering these activations across various locations in the emirate.
In addition to entrepreneurship, the initiative promotes social interaction and community involvement, a DCD assessment found. The authority, which also recorded 1.7 million volunteer hours in 2024, uses such programmes to enhance community participation and social impact. This alignment helps strengthen the social fabric of Abu Dhabi through targeted youth development efforts, according to the department’s published figures.
The activations are designed as mobile setups that can be deployed in different districts, according to the media office. This flexibility ensures that more residents can benefit from the programme throughout the year. Participants receive guidance to successfully operate their stalls and interact with customers in a real market setting.
