The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
DUBAI / WAM
His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, has launched the ‘Arab Youth Opportunity Platform,’ the largest of its kind, featuring more than 2,000 opportunities for Arab youth in different specialisations.
“Supporting and empowering Arab youth is not an individual responsibility. It is rather a national responsibility that everyone should subscribe to,” Sheikh Mansour said following the launch of the platform.
He urged governments to place youth welfare as a top priority and adopt innovate initiatives, programmes and plans to prepare the youth for tomorrow’s opportunities and challenges.
“Under the directives of our leaderships, the Arab Youth Centre continues its innovative initiatives aimed at motivating the youth to utilise their energy and potentials in serving their communities in a way that will lead to realising comprehensive and sustainable development, which is a must for a better tomorrow,” he added.
He explained that the opportunity platform seeks to identify the needs of the Arab youth and provide opportunities to them to make a difference in their lives.
“The platform provides a roadmap for the youth to identify the requirements of the job market and the opportunities it provides for them to realise their potentials and ambitions. It is also an important database for concerned authorities to identify weaknesses in the opportunities available, and to develop plans and programmes to address them,” Sheikh Mansour said.
Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, said the youth constitute a majority of the population in the Arab countries and therefore, it is important to have a clear understanding of their reality and utilise their energies in a very positive way.
“This pioneering platform will also act as a melting point for the Arab youth to identify opportunities and to develop their capabilities in order to tap into the huge opportunities in the job market,” she added.
The platform allows the users to apply for adding new opportunities to ensure a wider reach among the youth in the Arab countries and the whole world.
It also has sections for events, awards, contests, scholarships, business incubators, volunteering and skill development programmes.
According to studies, youth make up 60 percent of the total population of the Arab world.
The UAE allocates around AED500,000 for scholarships in the Arab world, which currently has 100 business incubators, 300 development programmes, 150 awards and competitions, 200 scholarship programmes and 250 human development programmes.
Launched in 2017 by Sheikh Mansour, the Arab Youth Centre is an initiative that meets the ambition of the Arab youth and their commitment to developing their nation.