Abu Dhabi: The UAE launched on Sunday a nationwide ‘Youth Development and Well-being Index Survey’ to provide a baseline of national data on the state of youth well-being and factors impacting and affecting youth development.

Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Chairman of Emirates Foundation, launched the survey through an introductory video highlighting the importance of having such an index in helping the country design smarter policies and investments to improve opportunities for young people.

Being the first comprehensive attempt to capture the state of UAE youth development and well-being, the minister called upon families and youth across all seven emirates to contribute to making this initiative a success by participating in this nationwide survey.

The survey will be carried out as a part of a join collaborative effort involving the Emirates Foundation, the Emirates Youth Council, Dubai Economy, and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA). The survey itself will be launched on April 2, with 6,600 individuals between the ages of 15-35 being interviewed across the seven Emirates.

“We are very excited to be launching the Youth Development Index which is in line with the national youth strategy of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. This initiative is going to help us get a baseline data about the aspirations, concerns, and needs of young people in the country,” said Shamma Bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Youth, and Chairwoman of the Emirates Youth Council.

“The areas the survey will focus on include education, health, values, work ethics, work environment, entrepreneurship, and volunteerism. As it is also the Year of Giving we are going to be asking the participants how many times a year do they give [in donations].

“The responses and data we receive will allow us to know more about young people and this will assist us in creating better strategies, policies, and initiatives that will cater to them,” she added.

Maitha Al Habsi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Emirates Foundation, said the survey was needed to provide up-to-date statistics on the youth in the country.

“At the moment we don’t have updated statistics and researches that we can look to for creating policies, so this survey index is going to help us understand more about the latest youth trends.

“The survey is going to speak to 6,600 participants between the ages of 15-35. It’s going to take a couple of months to carry out, but once we get all the feedback and responses our goal will be to share and definitely act on it,” she added.

Al Habsi added that young volunteers from the Emirates Foundation would also be involved in conducting the survey, such as visiting the homes of participants, and making phone calls.

Naser Lootah, Director-General of the FCSA, also commented positively on the survey and noted the importance of listening to young voices.

“We are very excited to be part of this national and strategic project. It comes in line with FCSA strategy to build strong bridges with the youth in the country, listen to their voices and utilise their ideas and innovation in serving the society and the nation,” he said.

“The youth today represent the future of our beloved nation. All government entities are working hard to achieve the national agenda and the sustainable developmental goals,” he added.