Aging and Family in the Gulf: A study of family behaviour toward elderly people and the support systems

Abstract

The elderly people represent a considerable ratio of the world population. In GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, this phenomenon is obvious because of society development, economic progression, and health-enhanced services, which are related to these countries' wealth and their people's understanding of the importance of the elderly people as an essential cultural asset of the community. But on the other hand, Islamic teachings encourage believers to treat elderly people gently and mercifully, specifically parents, one or both of them, as mentioned in the Holy Quran. And besides the societal norms and traditions which are promoting elderly people's status and respect for their experiences. This paper will deal with GCC families' role in providing elderly people with care and the kinds of support these countries offer. In addition, the paper will focus on supporting aspects such as healthy, socially, and economically. On the other hand, the paper will shed light on the effect of Coronavirus on elderly people and how families dealt with the pandemic regarding protecting and stabilizing their psychological status. This paper will build on literature that focuses on many topics, including statistical data about elderly people worldwide with a concentration on Gulf countries through the websites of the world bank and Gulf Cooperation Council, in addition to the significant publication from United Nations Publication Fund(UNPF). The study also will discuss elderly people's status in some GCC countries, such as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with particular concern for Qatar's efforts to serve elderly people through the law and the government institutions.