Dubai: A national service youth council has been set up in the UAE as part of efforts to enhance young people’s capacity and refine their experience to be able to effectively contribute to achieving sustainable development and prosperity in the country.

The new council was formed by the Emirates Youth Council in collaboration with the National Service and Reserve Authority (NRSA). The move was in line with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to realise the goals of the National Youth Agenda, launched by Shaikh Mohammad in 2016.

The main aim of the newly set up council is to activate the role of youths, empower them in all walks of life, and achieve the country’s strategic goals, foremost of which is the UAE Vision 2021.

Major-General Pilot Shaikh Ahmad Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of NRSA, expressed his pride in this step, which reflects the UAE leadership’s keen interest and care for Emirati youths as catalysts for development.

He referred to the sound directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, that call for strengthening communication between the armed forces and Emirati society.

Shaikh Ahmad stressed the importance of the national service in developing the personalities of young Emiratis who completed the military service. The national service youth council will help youths acquire new skills.

He pointed out that National Service Youth Council will serve as a link between the authority and young people as they will share their personal experiences with their peers, contributing to stimulating, encouraging and inspiring both young men and women to engage in national service, which is a national duty that must be performed by all Emiratis.

“The UAE and its wise leadership pin great hopes on young people, who should set an honourable example of the nation, with their ethics, loyalty and self- sacrifice,” Shaikh Ahmad said.

Shamma Suhail Faris Al Mazroui, Minister of State for Youth and Chairperson of the Emirates Youth Council, said the UAE puts youth at the top of its priorities as the nation’s human capital and is keen to invest in their capacity to become effective contributors to the bright future of the country.

She praised collaboration with the National Service Authority, and highlighted the importance of the National Service Youth Council as an ideal platform to connect the nation’s youths directly and identify their needs and aspirations.

The council’s members are Aisha Saeed Mohammad Hareb, Sarah Hassan Al Bannai, Faisal Abdul Gaffar Mohammad Al Hawi, Majid Obaid Ali Al Shamsi, Salem Ebrahim Rashid Al Nokhada, Fatima Mohammad Ali Al Ma’amari, Ahmad Mohammad Al Shumaili and Reem Anawhi.