BSO Middle East

The recent Cybersecurity Awareness Event for our Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts was a fantastic success —combining hands-on activities, digital safety tips, and loads of curiosity from our young people. Designed to be age-appropriate and engaging, the event helped demystify key online safety issues in a way that was both fun and educational. Why it matters: Young people today are growing up in a digital world. Whether it’s messaging friends, using apps, playing games, or accessing schoolwork, the internet is part of daily life but with that comes the need to navigate it safely and responsibly. Cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting passwords—it’s about making smart choices, understanding risks, and knowing what to do if something goes wrong. What we learned: Through games, discussions, and challenges, our young people explored topics such as: -Keeping personal information private -Spotting suspicious messages or scams -Creating strong, memorable passwords -Knowing who to talk to if something doesn’t feel right online The impact: The event empowered our young members with practical knowledge and confidence. It helped start conversations about online safety that continue at home and during meetings. Most importantly, it reminded us that digital awareness is now an essential part of preparing young people with skills for life. A huge thank you to the volunteers and professionals who helped deliver the sessions—you’ve made a lasting impact. Special thanks to 6th Dubai Scout Group and Next Generation School for generously hosting and supporting the event. #cybersecurity #digitalsafety #beavers #cubs #scouts #6thdubaiihsan #volunteers #muslimscoutfellowship #britishscoutingoverseas #nextgenerationschool

Beavers, Cubs & Scouts from 7th Dubai Scout group visited @apple store in @malloftheemirates to work on the Digital Maker staged activity badge. Young people were able to create their own emojis and e-books. It was a great evening, enjoyed by all. Thank you to the staff at the Apple store, Mall of the Emirates. #beavers #cubs #scouts #7thdubai #digitalmaker #activitybadges #apple #malloftheemirates #britishscoutingoverseas

Throwback Thursday! 1st Dubai 1979 Investiture ceremony 1st Dubai 2025 Investiture ceremony @1stdubai_bso 46 years on, faces have changed and uniforms have evolved - but the spirit, the traditions, and the ceremonies continue to stand as strong as ever. #46years #throwbackthursday #investitureceremony #cubs #1stdubai #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

Meet our new District Youth Lead, Darya. Welcome to the team, we’re thrilled to have you join us! #youthlead #districtyouthlead #middleeastdistrict #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

Eid Mubarak! Wishing everyone a joyous Eid. We hope you enjoy the celebrations. #eidmubarak #eid #celebrations #britishscoutingoverseas

Ramadan Kareem from our family to yours. Wishing you a peaceful and blessed month. #ramadankareem #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

Emma, one of our volunteers with Cub Scouts at 7th Dubai Scout group, met former Chief Scout, Bear Grylls. 🤩 Having told Bear, that she had just been on Scout camp, he told her to thank everyone for their time as volunteers and to keep up the great work. #cubs #7thdubai #volunteers #chiefscout #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

If you are interested or would like further information, please contact Shelly, the District Lead Volunteer on shelly.burrows@britishscoutingoverseas.org.uk or Charlotte, BSO’s Youth Lead Volunteer on charlotte.thompson@britishscoutingoverseas.org.uk #youthled #districtyouthlead #volunteer #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

A fantastic night of kick boxing and Muay Thai for 1st Abu Dhabi Scouts. The Scouts asked for some martial arts training to be incorporated into their programme. Well done all. Special thanks to Wolves Zone Academy for volunteering to run the training session and introducing the way for the Scouts to achieve the Martial Arts activity badge. #kickboxing #muaythai #martialarts #martialartsactivitybadge #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

Squirrels, Beavers & Cubs from Scout groups in Dubai boarded the QE2 for an evening of entertainment from Magic Phil’s Toyland Express. Audience participation from both adult volunteers and young people was obviously required. What a great evening to celebrate the end of the winter term. @1magicphil @theatrebyqe2 #squirrels #beavers #cubs #magicphil #toylandexpress #qe2 #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

Meet 5th Dubai Squirrels! 🐿️ They are the first Squirrel Drey in the UAE! The Squirrels held their investiture ceremony in the park and were confident enough to make their Squirrel Scout promises individually. They had a picnic afterwards to celebrate. Even Sandy the Squirrel, 5th Dubai’s mascot, made his promise and proudly wears his necker. It was a special moment for Owl (Lucy) who was able to invest her own daughter into our Scout family. They hope you enjoy watching their closing ceremony song. (Sound on) #squirrels #squirrelscoutpromise #investitureceremony #sandythesquirrel #picnicinthepark #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

7th Dubai held a group investiture ceremony with over 30 young people making their Scout promise and being welcomed into our Scout family. #7thdubai #investitureceremony #scoutpromise #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

Happy new year from the Middle East District! Let’s do this 2025.

Merry Christmas! #slillsforlife #scoutfamily #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 24 - A night of reflection Let us know your favourite moments of the year and your plans for 2025! #skillsforlife #reflection #teamwork #growth #adventures #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 23 - British Scouting Overseas Test your knowledge about BSO. Leave your answers in the comments below! #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 22 - Meet our Chief Scout, Dwayne Fields Check out https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2024/september/dwayne-fields-becomes-new-uk-chief-scout/ for the full article about Dwayne. #dwaynefields #chiefscout #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 21 - Space & Stargazing 21st December is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Therefore it’s the longest night, more time for you to get outside and observe our beautiful night sky! #wintersolstice #stargazing #constellations #space #ukspaceagency #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 20 - Community engagement 20th December is ‘Go Caroling day’ Playing our part at the heart of the community has always been core to what we do as Scouts. It’s great to see Scout groups in our district involved in community events. #communityengagement #christmascarols #carolservice #1stoman #ukinoman #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 19 - Global Issues & Recycling Think about ways you can help to reduce waste at Christmas time, not only with gift wrapping. There are many items we can ensure we recycle, not only at Christmas! #recycling #reducewaste #giftwrapping #furoshiki #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 18 - Scouting History Women have always been involved with Scouting, since the very beginning. Celebrating inclusivity! Check out the full history of women in scouting at https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/our-history/our-online-exhibitions/the-early-days-of-scouting/ #scoutingforgirls #inclusivity #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 17 - Badge spotlight - Emergency Aid You never know when you might need to put your first aid skills into practice. #emergencyaid #recoveryposition #bleeding #bandages #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 16 - Pioneering There are many camp gadgets that can be made when taking part in pioneering. Here are just a few gadgets made by Oman Scout group. Share yours with us. #pioneering#campgadgets #gadgets #rope #knots# #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 15 - Youth shaped Scouting is youth shaped and has been since 1907. Today, youth-shaped Scouts forms a major part of our #SkillsforLife strategy, alongside inclusion, community impact and growth. A young person who knows how to shape their own Scouts experience through planning, leading and representing has a powerful skill that’ll carry them through life. Whether you’re a Squirrel, taking part in a nutty matter, a Beaver, involved in a log chew, a Cub, engaging in a pack forum or a Scout, participating in Scouts Own, you have a say in your program. #youthshaped #nuttynatter #logchew #packforum #scoutsown #skillsforlife #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 14 - Badge spotlight, Time on the water There’s an activity badge for everyone, no matter what your interests are. Kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, sailing, windsurfing, yatching, surfing, water skiing are just some of the activities you can do to earn this badge. #stagedactivitybadge #timeonthewater #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 13 - Christmas Around the World Share your Christmas traditions with us. #christmastraditions #christmasaroundtheworld #diversity #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 12 - Outdoor Challenge Everyone loves a campfire. What a great time for everyone to come together. Share your favourite campfire song with us! #camp #campfire #songs #skits #stories #jokes #memories #smores #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 11 - Back to basics with simple knots Check out https://prod-cms.scouts.org.uk/media/2709/scout-adventures-simple-knots-guide.pdf for the full article. #simpleknots #knots #ropeessentials #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 10 - Badge spotlight, Hikes Away Whether it’s an urban stroll, a desert ramble or a mountain trek, a hike or a journey counts towards an activity to earn a Hikes Away badge. #hikesaway #hike #gooutdoors #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 9 - Scouting Trivia Drop your answers in the comments below. #scoutingtrivia #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 8 Get Creative Get crafty and make some reusable Christmas crackers. Click the link to get the instructions. Share some pictures of your creations with us! https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/make-some-eco-friendly-crackers/ #getcreative #christmascrackers #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 7 Growing Our Movement #skillsforlife #vision #mission #values #growingthemovement #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 6 SKILLS FOR LIFE Photos taken at the District camp in Oman, November 2024 #skillsforlife #teamwork #leadership #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts#christmas #adventcalendar

ESYLs volunteer in a Squirrel Drey, Beaver Colony, Cub Pack or Scout Troop. They’re a valuable asset and play an active role, bringing fresh ideas to the table and acting as positive role models for the young people they work alongside. #explorers #esyls #youngleader #rolemodel #inspiring #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Christmas challenge, cook a pudding on the campfire! Click the link for the recipe from Scouts. Share some pictures with us of your treats! https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/make-campfire-christmas-pudding #campfire #campfirecooking #challenge #outdoorchallenge #backwoodscooking #christmaspudding #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #adventcalendar

1. Take 2 strawberry laces 2. Lay the lace to your left on top of the lace to your right 3. Pass the left lace over the right lace and tuck it under ‘left over tight and under’ 4. Pass the right lace over the left lace and tuck it under ‘right over left and under’ 5. Pull gently on all ends to tighten #knots #reefknot #strawberrylaces #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Day 2 of our Scoutmas Advent. Badge spotlight - Nights away staged activity badge. #nightsaway #nightsawaybadge #camp #desert #oman #britishscoutsoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Merry Scoutmas! Countdown to Christmas with us. #merryscoutmas #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #christmas #adventcalendar

Dubai Desert Yeti Explorers had a Young Leader training night, ‘How to teach a Beaver Scout, by being a Beaver Scout’. Pioneering - Pull a Beaver Scout on a box Communication - Instructions how to make a jam sandwich. The sandwich maker had to make the sandwich EXACTLY how the instructions were written. Safety - learning how to do a risk assessment #jamsandwich #pioneering #britishscoutingoverseas #youngleaders #explorers #beavers #scouts

Congratulations to Steve, who was presented with his 9th Wood Badge by Shelly, Middle East DLV, at the recent district camp in Oman. Steve has many roles in the Middle East District; Training Advisor, Nights Away Assessor & Area Transformation Lead.

Desert Yeti Explorers - Dubai Congratulations to Hannah, on receiving her Chief Scout Platinum Award. Congratulations to Alex & Kai, on receiving their Young Leaders Awards. Alex is a young leader with 5th Dubai Scouts & Kai worked with Cubs at 4th Dubai. The Desert Yetis also welcomed 2 new members, who made their Scout promise and were invested into the group and the Worldwide Scout family. #youngleaders #chiefscout #britishscoutingoverseas #explorers #scouts #dubai

Our District Lead Volunteer, Shelly, had the pleasure of visiting 1st Doha Scout Group. Shelly attended meetings of all sections in the group, Beavers, Cubs & Scouts and was able to observe Explorer Scouts in action as young leaders. Shelly also had the privilege of presenting well earned awards to some of our volunteers. Mike O’Donaghue (Group Lead Volunteer) Chief Scouts Commendation & 5 years service Janine Muller (Beavers) Wood Badge and 5 years service Gareth McElroy (Cubs & Scouts) 2 Wood Badges & 15 years service #volunteers #doha #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

Join our team! Volunteer with us. Get in touch to find out more, visit www.britishscoutingoverseas.org.uk #volunteering #middleeast #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

Dubai Explorers joined with 4000 other volunteers, packing 200 tonnes of aid to make 10,000 emergency relief kits. Managed by Dubai Cares, the kits will be sent to Lebanon. #dubaicares #explorers #scouts #britishscoutingoverseas

Cubs, Scouts & Explorers from 1st Kuwait, were amongst 50 volunteers, packing over 1300 ‘Winter warmer packs’. They joined Operation Hope’s campaign, ‘Winter Warmth’ which has been running for over 20 years and gives the packs to local labourers in need. #cubs #scouts #explorers #kuwait #britishscoutingoverseas

Whilst at the British Embassy, His Majesty’s Consul General, presented awards to our young people. Dubai Explorer Scouts received Chief Scout’s Diamond awards as well as one Explorer receiving a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award, a Scout received his Chief Scout’s Gold award and Cubs received their Chief Scout’s Silver awards. One of our amazing leaders was presented with a Chief Scouts Commendation for service. #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #skillsforlife

Cubs & Scouts from 1st, 2nd & 7th Dubai Scout Groups and Dubai Explorers attended and marched at the Remembrance service at the British Embassy on Remembrance Sunday. #remembrance #wewillrememberthem #britishscoutingoverseas

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. #wewillrememberthem #remembrance

Beavers, Cubs, Scouts & Explorers in Abu Dhabi were invited to attend the Remembrance service at the British Embassy #remembrance #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts

Shelly manages and empowers our volunteers in delivering the best Scouting experience to our young people. #districtleadvolunteer#teamleader #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #skillsforlife

With groups in 7 countries across the Middle East district, find a group near you and join the adventure. (MSF - Muslim Scout Fellowship) #britishscoutingoverseas #scouts #skillsforlife

A year in the life of British Scouts Overseas. This is what memories are made of! #worldorganizationofthescoutmovement #britishscoutingoverseas #britishscouts #ukscouts #scouts #middleeast #volunteeringisfun

#cubs #BSO

Explorers and all the Scout groups in Dubai, camped at Bear Grylls Scout camp @beargryllscamp in Ras Al Khaimah. They completed challenging survival skills, whilst hiking on the challenging terrain, including rock climbing and abseiling. @beargrylls #skillsforlife

1st Oman Beavers enjoyed the day at Papa John’s 🍕🍕🍕 A huge thank you Papa John's Pizza Al Khuwair for having our Beavers for a pizza making workshop today! It’s safe to say they’ve all had the best time! The staff were incredible and so patient with us all! 🍕🍕🍕 @omanbsoscouts

Message from our Chief Scout @beargrylls @scouts

British Scouting Overseas extends its deepest condolences on the death of our patron, monarch and sovereign - Queen Elizabeth II. As we remember Her Majesty, we give thanks that she has been Patron of The Scout Association since she came to the throne 70 years ago. We also recall with gratitude the support she has extended to Scouting throughout her long reign. Most especially we remember her strong commitment to duty and service to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Our sympathy and prayers are extended to the entire Royal family. The loss of such a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother will be deeply felt.

As District Secretary you will be providing valuable support to the District Executive, led by the District Chair which supports the District Commissioner (Shelly Burrows) meet the responsibilities of her role whilst allowing our grass roots Leaders to focus on working directly with young people delivering the Scouting programme and #SkillsforLife

Are you 18-25? Accept this challenge and make the change happens!