Al Qasimi Foundation Shares ERTIQAA Experience at UNESCO Webinar on Prison Education
The Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research shared Ras Al Khaimah’s experience in prison education at a UNESCO webinar held on 14 October 2026. The event, Education in Prison: Innovative Experiences in UNESCO Learning Cities, brought together speakers from Ras Al Khaimah, France and Senegal to exchange approaches to learning inside correctional facilities and beyond.
Muhammad Ata, Learning and Community Development Manager at the Foundation, presented ERTIQAA, a program designed to connect education, wellbeing, practical skills and preparation for life after release. He explained how the program grew from an assessment of local needs and learners’ abilities, building on the Foundation’s work with Ras Al Khaimah Correctional Facility since 2011.
The pilot has enrolled 41 participants. Its learning pathway brings together Arabic, English and mathematics with reading, creative activities, wellbeing support and vocational training. Ata shared encouraging early assessment results in the core subjects and described how some participants have continued vocational training with the Foundation’s support after their release.
The presentation also highlighted the correctional facility’s library, which holds more than 9,000 books and provides space for study, discussion and support. Looking ahead, the Foundation and its partners plan to strengthen work readiness and follow-up after release in 2027.
UNESCO has documented Ras Al Khaimah’s prison education experience in its online collection of case studies. The webinar offered an opportunity to share that experience with other learning cities and learn from their approaches.