The Ministry of Family staged separate men’s and women’s ceremonies for the 23rd mass wedding in Al Quaa, with 25 grooms participating on December 12 and 25 brides on December 13 in the Al Ain area. The events featured traditional Emirati elements and group photographs in a festive atmosphere that reflected longstanding national customs. According to the ministry, the occasion formed part of broader efforts to support young Emiratis entering marriage while reducing associated financial pressures.
Her Excellency Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, the Minister of Family, described the ceremonies as a message of love and loyalty to the nation while supporting youth and investing in stability and prosperity. The gatherings drew attendance from H.H. Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan along with senior officials including H.E. Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, chairman of the Department of Community Development in Abu Dhabi. In remarks carried by the ministry, Al Khaili highlighted the Medeem initiative as an advanced national model that promotes youth and family stability through collaborative programming.
The ministry’s series across Al Ain in December 2025 encompassed three events that together involved 100 Emirati youth. An initial ceremony on December 5 in Al Wiqan joined 15 couples while a concluding event on December 19 in the same location celebrated another 11. The Al Quaa segment represented the largest single gathering within the December program organized in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development’s Medeem initiative.
These mass weddings align with the National Family Growth Agenda 2031, a framework the ministry said aims to reinforce Emirati family structures and societal values. The approach revives heritage elements while addressing practical barriers to marriage that can strain household resources in the UAE. Similar initiatives have featured regularly in national calendars, including a 2021 mass wedding in Abu Dhabi that united 50 young grooms according to records from Gulf News.
The Medeem model, developed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development, provides structured support for weddings that maintain cultural authenticity and community participation. Ministry figures indicate the program has enabled hundreds of couples to marry under collective auspices since its expansion in recent years. Such events also serve to strengthen social cohesion across regions like Al Ain by bringing extended families together in shared celebration.
Official coordination for the Al Quaa ceremonies ensured compliance with all heritage and logistical standards established for national mass-wedding programs. The ministry noted that participant selection prioritised local Al Quaa residents to foster community bonds within the Al Ain governorate. Data from the Department of Community Development placed the combined December series as one of the larger regional concentrations of such ceremonies in 2025.
