Image used for representation only.
DOHA: The Empowerment and Elderly Care Centre (Ehsan), in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), yesterday launched the ‘Wakib’ initiative to equip senior citizens with the digital skills needed to navigate modern technologies and electronic services safely and independently.
The initiative is expected to benefit around 240 senior citizens annually, enabling them to improve their digital literacy, access electronic services more easily and participate more actively in an increasingly technology-driven society.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the launch ceremony, Director of the Digital Society and Digital Competencies Department at MCIT, Duha Al Buhendi, said the initiative seeks to help senior citizens embrace technology with confidence.
“We are delighted to launch the Wakib initiative in collaboration with Ehsan Centre for Empowerment and Care of the Elderly,” she said. “Through this initiative, we aim to empower senior citizens to embrace technology with confidence and independence, making it a meaningful part of their daily lives.”
Al Buhendi explained that the programme is being delivered under the Ministry’s ‘Together Digital’ initiative and offers practical, accessible training tailored to the needs of older people.
The courses cover the basics of using smartphones, accessing e-government services, digital communication, online safety and artificial intelligence applications, helping participants become more comfortable with the technologies they increasingly encounter in their daily lives.
“Our goal goes beyond developing digital skills,” Al Buhendi said. “We want to build confidence, promote independence, and ensure that senior citizens can actively participate and benefit from our digital society.”
The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide among older people, strengthen their digital capabilities, and ensure they can benefit from the opportunities offered by Qatar’s ongoing digital transformation.
She further added, “We believe that digital inclusion is for everyone, regardless of age, and that no one should be left behind in our digital journey.”
The collaboration also reflects the Ministry’s wider commitment to expanding digital inclusion through specialised training programmes that address the needs of different segments of society.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of Ehsan, Manal Ahmed Al Mannai, described the initiatve as an important milestone in the centre’s efforts to enhance the quality of life of older people and enable them to benefit from the opportunities offered by the digital world.
She highlighted the strategic partnership with MCIT as an example of coordinated national efforts to create an inclusive digital society in which no segment is left behind.
Al Mannai noted that investing in the digital capabilities of senior citizens would strengthen their independence, promote social integration and reinforce their position as active members of society who contribute their knowledge and experience to national development.
By making digital technologies and government services more accessible to older people, ‘Wakib’ supports the objectives of Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030, particularly its vision of building an inclusive digital society in which everyone has the skills and opportunities to benefit from technological progress.
