23 young leaders complete Arab Youth Technology Fellowship

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Arab Youth Center has successfully concluded the fourth edition of its “Arab Youth Technology Fellowship,” graduating 23 promising young leaders from eight Arab nations.

In a ceremony at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) attended by Dr. Sultan Bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Vice President of the Arab Youth Center; participants were honoured for mastering cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence, health technology, climate technology, and Web3.

This integrated programme empowered young Arab professionals and founders with the advanced skills needed to lead the region’s digital future.

In his address during the closing ceremony, Dr. Al Neyadi said the programme represented “a distinguished model of learning, collaboration, and impact,” highlighting how ideas can develop into practical projects and how passion can drive innovation that reflects the capabilities of the Arab youth.

Dr. Al Neyadi commended the participants’ dedication and creativity throughout the programme, noting that their innovative contributions reflected the diversity and ambition of youth across the Arab region.

“The Arab youth demonstrated high levels of commitment, determination, and creativity. They confirmed that innovation is an open space accessible to all who possess perseverance and vision, and that when young people are empowered with the right environment, innovation becomes their natural expression,” he stated.

Expanding on this, he added: “Technology today has become a central engine of development and a pillar shaping the future. This edition of the Arab Youth Technology Fellowship program built a complete ecosystem of collaboration among youth, national and international partners, and public and private institutions; and they can now serve as the foundation for broader and stronger opportunities. At the Arab Youth Center, we believe that investing in our youth’s potential is the smartest and most valuable investment. Building the leaders of tomorrow means laying the groundwork for a future that lives up to our nation’s ambitions.”

As part of the closing ceremony, a session titled “Stories from the Fellowship: Tech Leadership and Impact” featured three programme graduates who started their inspiring experiences and the knowledge and skills they gained during their participation, affirming that technology is a means to build a better future that serves both people and the environment.

Yousif Al Saba, Co-Founder and CEO of the Bahraini recruitment platform “Sirati,” who participated in the AI track, described the fellowship as a turning point for his startup.

His platform connects job seekers with companies through AI-powered solutions and has already attracted over 100 corporate partners.

Al Saba said the training helped him develop better methods for data processing and user experience design, resulting in rapid improvements in platform performance.

From Lebanon, Jad Oueida, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Chimera Cybersecurity, providing affordable digital security tools to SMEs, said his project began with the belief that cybersecurity should not be limited to large corporations, saying: “The fellowship allowed me to learn from other Arab innovators, understand market needs, and express ideas with greater confidence,” emphasising that “innovation begins with people, not technology.”

Moroccan participant Khoula Elmajdouli, founder of AI for Hydrogen Storage and a specialist in climate technology, presented her project on predictive modelling for green hydrogen storage using AI.

She said her visit to Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence during the fellowship inspired her to pursue further studies there and to strengthen scientific collaboration between the UAE and Morocco in climate and renewable energy technologies.

The ceremony also featured a lively discussion between the fellows and senior executives from Abu Dhabi Ports Group. This session spotlighted the group’s comprehensive service ecosystem and emphasised its role in creating new opportunities for Arab youth.

The closing ceremony also honoured the strategic and supporting partners of the fourth fellowship for their important role in expanding the programme’s reach.