UAE youth represents the potential of the nation

Shaikh Mohammed with Minister of State for Youth Shamma Al Mazrui at the launching of the UAE National Agenda for Youth in Dubai on Tuesday.

Youth is the strength of any nation and its hope for a better future, and the country's prosperity and future lie in their hands, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said on Tuesday.
"UAE youth represents the potential of our nation and is the source of its wealth. Today, we are drawing the future of our nation; we are investing our wealth and directing our efforts and plans towards developing the skills and expertise of our youth as they will drive our progress," he said while launching the UAE National Agenda for Youth. "The UAE is always keen to support its youth, and is committed to empowering younger generations and create new opportunities for them. We are keen to prepare a new generation that is ready to be creative and innovative to help us achieve our ambitions for even greater prosperity," Shaikh Mohammed added.
The agenda is the first of its kind in the UAE that aims to provide a conducive environment for UAE youth to achieve their objectives and enhance their leadership.
Shaikh Mohammed said taking care of the youth is a priority for the government, and the National Agenda for Youth aims to empower them to play a role in developing the country, as well as provide them with opportunities to sharpen their skills and unleash their leadership potential.
The agenda outlines how it will speed up the achievement of its objectives. This includes a policy for empowering youth and increasing their participation in decision making through a number of initiatives and actions such as capturing their input and feedback on policies that affect them through the UAE Youth Council and the local councils. The agenda also aims to set up a dedicated youth council in every ministry that works on empowering the youth, as well as launch international youth councils that review international best practices and implement them.
In addition, the policy aims to create a national centre for data on youth. It will also launch a virtual interactive platform that links youth with the UAE government, in addition to the annual youth retreat that fosters a dialogue between UAE leadership and its youth.
Youth agenda explained
The agenda has a policy for empowering youth and increasing their participation in decision-making through a number of initiatives such as:

• Capturing their input and feedback on policies that affect them through the UAE Youth Council
• Dedicated youth councils will be set up in every ministry
• International youth councils will be launched
• A national centre for data on youth will collect youth-related data
• A virtual interactive platform will link youth with the UAE government reporters@khaleejtimes.com