{"id":39222,"date":"2025-12-22T07:52:58","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T07:52:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/?p=39222"},"modified":"2025-12-22T08:21:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T08:21:33","slug":"abu-dhabis-wellness-festival-supports-people-of-all-ages-in-tackling-lifestyle-related-health-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/22\/abu-dhabis-wellness-festival-supports-people-of-all-ages-in-tackling-lifestyle-related-health-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Abu Dhabi\u2019s wellness festival supports people of all ages in tackling lifestyle-related health challenges."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

When Abu Dhabi resident Nova Lijoy joined her friends at Hudairiyat Island last weekend for a newly launched festival, she wasn\u2019t sure what to expect. Yet, she found herself at the venue for over five hours, describing it as one of the most enjoyable health-focused events she has ever attended.<\/p>

\u201cI initially went along with a friend and her kids just to see what it was about,\u201d she shared. \u201cBefore I knew it, we stayed until the evening because it was incredibly engaging. The event offered a wide range of activities for both children and adults. I\u2019ve never attended a fitness event that was this much fun.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Earlier this month, Abu Dhabi inaugurated the Festival of Health (FOH) across different locations in the capital, aiming to integrate healthy living into residents\u2019 daily routines. Planned for weekends in various areas of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, the event is anticipated to draw up to 30,000 attendees.<\/p>

\u201cThe festival offers a setting where individuals and families can explore wellness through activity, nutrition, relaxation, and social connection in a way that feels organic and enjoyable,\u201d explained Dr Omniyat Al Hajeri, Executive Director of Community Health at the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC). \u201cIt motivates people to pause, engage, and prioritize their wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>

The festival will be hosted across all three regions of the emirate: from December 12\u201316 on Al Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi, December 19\u201321 at Madinat Zayed Public Park in Al Dhafra, and December 26\u201328 at Al Jahili Park in Al Ain.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Addressing Lifestyle Health Challenges<\/strong><\/p>

Dr Omniyat explained that a primary aim of the Festival of Health (FOH) is to tackle prevalent lifestyle-related issues affecting communities today, such as lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, insufficient sleep, and rising stress levels.<\/p>

\u201cThese lifestyle factors are strongly linked to long-term wellbeing, but small, steady improvements can make a big difference,\u201d she said. \u201cThe festival helps participants understand these challenges practically and demonstrates how healthier routines can be incorporated into everyday life.\u201d<\/p>

The event is designed to appeal to all age groups. \u201cIt\u2019s for everyone \u2014 kids, youth, adults, families, and seniors,\u201d she said. \u201cHealth manifests differently at each life stage, and meaningful change happens when entire communities are involved.\u201d<\/p>

FOH offers more than 140 varied activities, presenting a cohesive, cross-sector approach to making wellness simple and accessible for all.<\/p>

From Awareness to Real Change<\/strong><\/p>

A key strength of the festival is its ability to translate awareness into tangible behaviour change. Rather than just providing information, the event encourages attendees to actively participate \u2014 to move, experiment, and experience health first-hand.<\/p>

\u201cWhen people exercise together, cook together, relax together, and learn together, wellbeing becomes engaging and relatable,\u201d Dr Omniyat noted. \u201cThis communal participation boosts confidence, lowers barriers, and makes it more likely that habits will continue long after the festival concludes.\u201d<\/p>

She added that the festival\u2019s success isn\u2019t measured by visitor numbers alone. Instead, the emphasis is on meaningful engagement, high-quality interactions, and sustained interest in healthier lifestyles. \u201cThe Festival of Health is part of a larger network of initiatives and policies,\u201d she said. \u201cIts real value lies in connecting participants to long-term community health programmes and fostering ongoing involvement.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Abu Dhabi\u2019s health festival encourages residents of every age to adopt healthier habits, offering activities, guidance, and resources to address lifestyle-related issues like diet, exercise, and overall well-being.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[84,9],"tags":[34],"post_template":[],"top_category":[],"class_list":["post-39222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-uae","tag-dubai-buzz","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39222"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39240,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39222\/revisions\/39240"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39222"},{"taxonomy":"post_template","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_template?post=39222"},{"taxonomy":"top_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/top_category?post=39222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}