FYA inaugurates ‘Young Economists Programme’

DUBAI / WAM

The Federal Youth Authority (FYA) held the first introductory meeting involving 50 young people from the first batch of the “Young Economists Programme.”
The programme was organised by the FYA under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, to prepare a new generation of national economic leaders and equip them with the most advanced economic knowledge and global expertise, to enable them to create innovative economic visions.
The first batch involved in the three-month programme was selected after a special jury shortlisted the best candidates from a list of 650 applicants and held personal interviews to select 50 for the final stage. The programme comprises 80 training workshops on economic topics, as well as interviews with leaders and policy-makers from national and international economic establishments.
The programme’s participants took part in a meeting held at the Youth Centre in the Emirates Towers, which was attended by Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Saeed Al Nazari, Director-General of the Authority, and representatives of national media outlets.
In his speech, Al Marri praised the unlimited support of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed for the youth and his leading efforts in the area of youth empowerment, stressing that the programme will support the country’s work to develop the skills of its young citizens and involve them in shaping the future economy.
The youth today are the real investment that the country is betting on to build its future, and the government is prioritising the efforts to improve their skills and capacities and ensure their empowerment, to enable them to perform their key role in the development process, he added.
During the meeting, Al Marri highlighted the significant development witnessed by the national economy and its capacity to shift from an oil-based economy that depended on oil and gas by 80 percent just after the country’s establishment to the most diverse economy in the region and the second-largest Arab economy, in which oil represents only 30 percent. He also spoke about the UAE’s infrastructure, which is among the best in the world, as well as its facilities, airports, ports and
national companies that are
capable of competing globally.
The UAE’s business environment has witnessed progress through focussing on digital transformation and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and emerging companies based on innovation, especially in priority areas, such as the fourth industrial revolution, Artificial Intelligence, and research and development, he further added.
“The programme aims to develop the skills of the youth and prepare a future generation of Emirati economic experts,” Al Mazrui said.