* The programme was organised by Doha International Family Institute (Difi) in co-operation with Wifaq (Family Consulting Centre)
More than 90 young men and women from across the Arab world participated in a training programme highlighting the pillars of a successful marriage, organised by Doha International Family Institute (Difi) in co-operation with Wifaq (Family Consulting Centre).
Through a series of in-depth workshops held over five days, Difi – a member of Qatar Foundation (QF) – and Wifaq aimed to equip participants with essential knowledge on important family matters, as well as an understanding of the demands of married life and how to overcome marital challenges.
Dr Sharifa Noaman al-Emadi, executive director of Difi, said: “Difi is working hand-in-hand with different organisations and institutions in Qatar and abroad to achieve Difi and QF’s vision of strong family cohesion by enhancing local and regional understanding of the importance of marriage – the basic cell of the family and the foundation of strong and solid societies.
“We are proud of our partnership with Wifaq, which has proven its dedication to a programme aimed at preserving the Arab family. We are dedicated to educating our youth and future generation about the importance of marriage and family, especially in this era fraught with challenges.”
The Pre-Marital Education programme provided the participants with 10 training hours on key topics pertaining to married life to help them learn important skills needed to achieve harmony within the family.
Topics included understanding the life partner’s nature; dealing with one’s life partner; knowing the life partner’s needs and addressing them; methods of effective communication; and marital compatibility components and practices.
Rashid bin Ahmed al-Dossary, executive director of Wifaq, expressed happiness at co-operating with Difi in presenting the Pre-Marital Education workshops. He explained that the programme is a "very important step in highlighting the community awareness services that Wifaq provides to the family – a first with regional reach, thanks to Difi".
He added that, through this agreement, Wifaq seeks to prepare the Arab youth for family life and promote strong marital relationships by providing them with models of best practices and developing a broad range of skills.
The workshops were presented by a group of consultants and specialists in family issues, including Dr Hassan al-Breiki, family consultant and head of the Family Mediation Division at Wifaq; Hadia Bakr Abolaban, social expert at Wifaq; and Jawaher al-Mana, head of the Guest Relations Division at QF and former head of the Preventive Programmes Division at Wifaq.
Pre-Marital Education comes as part of the preparation for Difi's next virtual international conference, titled 'Marriage: Formation and Constituents of Stability', taking place from on February 23-25 and organised in co-operation with the League of Arab States.
Featuring the participation of a group of researchers, policy makers, specialists and youth, the international conference seeks to discuss marriage in the modern era, the challenges that accompany it, and ways to support the marriage institution in the Arab world and globally. Registration for the conference is available via the Difi website at event.difi.org.qa/.