Dubai students launch new platform 'Go Shabab'

The online platform is dedicated to connecting young people across the Middle East with valuable internships and skill-building opportunities

Shahad Al-Farhan, a year 13 student at Nord Anglia International School in Dubai and Fawaz Sharaf, a year 13 student at Dubai College, have introduced Go Shabab, an online platform dedicated to connecting young people across the Middle East with valuable internships and skill-building opportunities. Their mission is to combat youth unemployment by addressing the growing skills gap between the capabilities of job seekers and the expectations of employers in a rapidly changing job market.

"When I researched youth unemployment in the region, I found one of the main challenges was the skills mismatch between job seekers and employer expectations," Fawaz shared. "With the fast pace of technological change, it's essential that young people have access to opportunities to build job skills that schools might not cover. By partnering with businesses across the region, we aim to connect youth to virtual internships that offer real-world experience, accessible across borders."

Shahad added, "We realised that existing platforms don’t sufficiently address this gap, especially for high school students. Go Shabab could be a game-changer, providing young people with the chance to explore career paths early and build skills that enhance their adaptability in the future. We want to help our peers gain clarity on their professional paths at an earlier stage."

To achieve this vision, Fawaz and Shahad have developed a comprehensive platform, working with industry professionals and organisations like Lumi to deliver entrepreneurship workshops to students in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. They have also organised virtual webinars on well-being and career planning, reaching students from Jordan, Lebanon, and beyond. Shahad emphasised, "We understand the pressure students feel to perform well, so we wanted to provide mental well-being support alongside career planning."

Go Shabab also promotes events such as the Premier Genie Science Fair, where students can showcase their talents in STEM fields. "We promote these opportunities on our platform to give them broader reach, not just for UAE youth but for students across the region," Fawaz explained.

The platform supports other student-led initiatives as well, creating a space where youth can share their projects. "We encourage students to submit their initiatives for us to promote," Shahad noted. "We're here to support their efforts and create more opportunities."

Whether you're in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, or anywhere in the Middle East, Go Shabab connects you to virtual webinars, workshops, and internships designed to foster career development. By bridging education and employment gaps, Go Shabab fosters inclusivity, making opportunities accessible to all youth in the region. With a commitment to addressing gender disparities and ensuring that socioeconomic barriers don’t limit anyone's future, Go Shabab is transforming the way students prepare for the workforce.

The platform's forum section aims to create a nurturing and inclusive environment where young individuals can seek guidance, ask questions, and build the connections they need to thrive in an evolving world.

Join Go Shabab, where co-founders Fawaz and Shahad are shaping the next generation of leaders. To feature any internships or courses for high school students, please contact Go Shabab. Follow them on Instagram or visit www.goshabab.com to discover internships, workshops, and more.