UAE: This Emirati in her 60s uses social media to promote volunteering

Dubai - Umm Saeed has over 224,000 followers on Instagram.

Who said the older generation is not Internet-savvy? Meet Umm Saeed, an Emirati in her sixties who uses her social media influencer status to promote volunteering.

The hexagenerian has thousands of followers on Instagram. Her posts revolve around women empowerment and the importance of giving back to society.

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She is among the few from her generation to latch on to the Internet from the early days. She said she started surfing the web over 20 years ago. After her popularity soared on Instagram, she started encouraging them to volunteer. "I use my social media presence not to show the country's beauty, but to illustrate the joy of helping others," she told Khaleej Times.

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The Emirati grandmother has over 224,000 followers as on September 2. Umm Saeed is proud to be a volunteer, which is evident from her Instagram bio: "Volunteer for God and then for the homeland."

Despite her popularity, she has not forgotten her Emirati roots. She still sports the traditional Emirati face cover called the burqa'a. Handcrafted of delicate fabric and worn over the face, the metallic looking accessory is traditionally worn by married women.

A resident of Hatta, Umm Saeed, is a celebrity in the tourist district of Dubai. She knows the popular enclave and all its gorgeous hotspots inside out.

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The Emirati said she loves meeting and bonding with new people via her Instagram presence.

She is an ardent admirer of the Mother of the Nation, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation.

"I look up to her as a role model," she said.

"We draw our inspiration from her as she has left an imprint in all fields."

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She said the best way to serve the country is by volunteering for various social causes. Her work has been recognised by multiple government entities and also private firms.

Umm Saeed has been a volunteer at many social awareness events throughout the country. She drives to these events to "send out a message to young girls to be independent and learn to do their work."

shihab@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai