More than 200 young GCC nationals gathered to discuss ways to encourage people in the region to be healthier and more active.
The GCC workshop on Health, Sports and Entertainment brought together experts from all six GCC countries to brainstorm ideas on how to get young people more interested in a healthier lifestyle.
The two-day workshop, organized by the secretariat general of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC-SG), kicked off on Sunday at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Dubai.
The participants were put in small groups and asked to come up with ideas that would effect change in the lifestyles of young men and women in the GCC.
Across the board, it was suggested that health studies be part of the school curriculum from an early age and through to secondary school.
Dana Ali, 21, a PE teacher from Bahrain, said that facilitating areas for women to take up exercise was a major issue.
She also suggested opening gyms for children.
Some of the ideas emerging from the groups ranged from activity days to employers rewarding workers with a day off for annual health checks.
Other suggestions included banning the sale of tobacco near schools, privatizing school canteens and awarding contracts to companies that would provide healthier meals, and taxing parents whose children were overweight or not in shape.
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