There will be a new alert system in the UAE to help families find children who have gone missing. In collaboration with Facebook, the ‘Neda,’ which means ‘alert’ in Arabic, will notify Facebook users of SOS cases in relation to missing children. The alert will be sent to all persons in the area where the child was last seen and will include an image as well as a description of said child in the form of a Facebook notification. If the child is reported missing for a lengthy period of time, the message will then be sent to all residents of the UAE.
Lt. General Al Shafar considered the launch to be a leading step in strengthening the ministry’s efforts to maintain security and safety, by benefiting from emerging technologies and social media applications.
Al Shafar stated that the UAE has a leading international reputation in dealing with child protection, which is one of the main priorities of its social policy. The ministry aims to further this approach, according to its working competencies, as well as to employ international expertise to promote child protection in the country, he added.
"The launch of the first stage of Neda is part of the ministry’s strategic initiatives that aim to promote child protection and utilise modern technologies. We will work on managing calls from police general commands in the country, and after taking the required measures, we will circulate their reports in the form of a call through Facebook in the areas where children have gone missing," he added.