Abu Dhabi: A member of the Federal National Council demanded that the ministry of FNC Affairs put in more efforts to encourage youth’s political engagement.
Saeed Saleh Al Rumaithi, a member from Abu Dhabi, raised a question to Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of State for FNC Affairs, about the ministry’s efforts to promote youth’s political participation to get their voice heard by the decision makers.
Thirty-three-year-old Al Rumaithi, the youngest member who won the FNC seat solely through his active engagement with the public via social media, said groups of young people or students were launching social media campaigns to get their voice heard, while they should get other official platforms to do so.
Al Owais highlighted the ministry’s keenness to continue organising events to improve the political awareness of all segments of the community. He also noted the importance of promoting citizenship and positivity among the youth and strengthening their political participation so they can effectively participate in the country’s process of development and prosperity.
The minister added that efforts are also being made to educate the youth about the significant role of the Federal National Council in promoting political engagement and youth participation in the country’s development.
There are FNC members who are active on social media like Twitter, and Al Rumaithi [Abu Dhabi] has a significant presence on Snapchat.
Also an established social media influencer since 2006, Al Rumaithi holds a master’s in IT and New Media from a reputable university in San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in IT and Multimedia from a college in England.
Al Rumaithi aspires to propose solutions for a slew of social issues, with emphasis on obstacles that Emirati youths encounter on a day-to-day basis.
In addition, expanding their frontiers of knowledge and forcing them to position themselves as an integral part of the UAE society, Al Rumaithi also seeks to enable young people to have an increased stake in societal and political matters.
“The youths of today are the rulers of tomorrow so we need to always provide them with the necessary expertise and information to eventually take over,” Al Rumaithi said.
Al Rumaithi also desires to inspire a strong sense of cultural awareness among the youth so they can appreciate and preserve their country’s heritage, an aspect that the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan had always stressed.
