Abu Dhabi: The UAE will observe the International Youth Day on Sunday, highlighting the great importance attached to the welfare and progress of the youth.
The UAE Government seeks to empower the young generation and prepare them to contribute to the welfare of the Emirati community by instilling in them leadership qualities and by engaging them in the decision-making process, both at the legislative and executive levels.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said that the UAE celebrates the youth every day through empowering and educating them.
يحتفي العالم باليوم العالمي للشباب .. وتحتفي بهم دولة الامارات كل يوم تعليماً وتمكيناً وإشراكاً في المسئولية .. شبابنا مفخرة في الإنجاز والعطاء والقيادة pic.twitter.com/xHfjCi6G7e
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) August 11, 2018
On his Twitter page, Shaikh Mohammad said: “While the world is celebrating the International Youth Day, the UAE celebrates the youth differently every day through educating and empowering them as well as engaging them in responsibility. Our youth are a source of pride thanks to their accomplishment, giving and leadership.”
Also on Saturday, His Highness Mohammad Bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE, greeted the country's youth in a Twitter post.
As we celebrate International Youth Day, we recall when our founding father Zayed placed full confidence in the nation’s young people. A solid relationship was established, based on unwavering faith in the capabilities of the youth, which has helped make the UAE what it is today pic.twitter.com/fT5hNOVAWt
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) August 11, 2018
In a statement to mark the occasion, Shamma Suhail Faris Al Mazroui, Minister of State for Youth, said: “Our leadership has dedicated a lot of attention to the youth and ensured that they are well prepared to contribute to the nation’s ongoing development drive.
"As a result, the UAE’s youth have become a global role model in leadership, excellence and national responsibility.”
She added that the UAE policy is based on investing in human capabilities, particularly the youth as being the country’s most treasured resource for the sustainable development drive.
She indicated that the UAE’s policies for empowering the youth and developing their capabilities are focused on education and innovation, as well as on providing a conducive environment for them to excel and play a vital role in the society.
She referred to the steps taken by the UAE to engage the youth in the development process, including the approval by the cabinet in 2016 to the formation of the Emirates Youth Council and the Federal Youth Authority.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid announced the Arab Youth Centre during the World Government Summit 2017.
He also launched the One Million Arab Coders initiative in October 2017. The initiative seeks to equip young Arabs with the tools to build their future, starting with fluency in coding and programming.
It will also provide Arabs with employment opportunities and empower them with the skills needed to contribute to the development of the digital economy.
In 2018, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, announced the launch of the Arab Youth Opportunity Platform, the largest initiative of its kind, featuring opportunities for Arab youth in different specialisations.
The platform provided a road map for the youth to identify the requirements of the job market and the opportunities it provided for them to realise their potential and ambitions.
Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Police have marked International Youth Day differently, launching the ‘Future Security Pioneers Award’, which is tailored to the youth category including Emiratis and expats.
The award aims to develop the skills of youth, enhance the society’s culture of security work and activate the social responsibility role for the youth.
