The UAE Pro League has become the first governing body in the Middle East to launch a pioneering ‘Child Safeguarding’ programme aimed at ensuring children can enjoy their right to play football in a safe and inclusive environment.
The initiative is part of the UAE Pro League’s commitment to promoting and protecting the safety and welfare of children, in line with FIFA’s stated objective to ensure that involvement in football, in any form, is a positive experience for all children.
Set to be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior Child Protection Centre (MOI CPC) and by working in alignment with the AFC and Fifa, the UAE Pro League’s safeguarding initiative targets four core objectives, namely implementing safeguarding measures to create a safe football environment for children, facilitate the reporting of concerns, ensuring swift investigation of concerns and increasing awareness of children safety and protection within clubs.
Waleed Al Hosani, CEO of the UAE Pro League, expressed his delight with the launch of the programme. “Child protection and welfare have always been a priority for the UAE’s leadership, and it is our role to work with organisations such as Fifa, the AFC, UAE FA and the Ministry of Interior to ensure children of the UAE are safeguarded within the football environment,” Al Hosani said.