Youth feted for taking part in Operation Chivalrous Knight 3

The Youth Social Missions Programme, participating under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 to support the people of Gaza, has announced the completion of its second cohort.

The programme aims to prepare and empower Emirati youth for active participation in social missions around the world.

To mark the occasion, a ceremony was held in Al Arish, where Khalid Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director of the Federal Youth Authority, honoured programme participants in recognition of their effective role in supporting the UAE’s humanitarian efforts and their field participation in Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 in Al Arish.

The ceremony featured a review of key field tasks carried out by the volunteers, as well as personal testimonies about supporting humanitarian teams on the ground, helping strengthen their practical capabilities and deepen their understanding of solidarity and giving.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Khalid Al Nuaimi visited the UAE humanitarian aid logistics centre for Gaza in Al Arish, where he inspected the mechanisms for receiving, storing and preparing aid, and the centre’s role in managing relief convoys headed to the Gaza Strip.

He also visited the UAE Floating Hospital and was briefed on the medical and surgical services it provides to Palestinian patients, praising the efforts of the medical and technical teams and supporting personnel taking part in the operation.

Al Nuaimi said the participation of Youth Social Missions Programme members in Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 embodies the UAE’s enduring commitment to standing with people in need everywhere, regardless of circumstances.

He noted that humanitarian work is a core part of the UAE’s identity and of its leadership’s values, which instil in Emiratis the duty to assist the distressed and alleviate suffering without being limited by borders or crises.

He added that the involvement of these outstanding young Emiratis reflects their desire to be part of the UAE’s legacy of giving by joining humanitarian missions, understanding field challenges and working alongside relief teams that have been active since the beginning of Operation Chivalrous Knight 3.

He affirmed that this participation expresses the values and principles established by the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which form the foundation of the nation’s humanitarian mission.

During a week of field work in Al Arish, members of the second cohort took part in an integrated experience under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, where they learned about various aspects of humanitarian work and contributed directly to the logistics centre’s operations, including preparing food parcels and readying trucks for aid convoys heading to Gaza, witnessing first-hand the impact of their efforts.

Programme participants also visited the UAE Floating Hospital, where they observed the work of medical teams providing specialised care and spent a day engaging socially with patients and their companions.

As part of the programme, participants visited the Rafah border crossing and learned about the process of delivering the aid they had helped prepare. They also toured the UAE desalination stations supporting Palestinian access to water, where they were briefed on the stations’ technical capacities and their role in alleviating the humanitarian crisis in the Strip.

Speaking about her experience, Wasaif Saeed Al Shehhi, a participant from the second cohort, said, “Volunteering at the UAE Floating Hospital allowed me to experience the true meaning of giving. Bringing joy or easing pain for a patient, even with a word or a smile, was deeply meaningful. At the logistics centre, I felt immense gratitude and pride preparing the aid parcels, knowing every parcel carries part of our humanity to our brothers and sisters in Gaza. It made me feel part of something greater, part of the UAE’s message of giving and solidarity.”

The Youth Social Missions Programme, overseen by the Federal Youth Authority, is one of the UAE’s leading initiatives to empower young Emiratis, develop their skills in community and humanitarian work and provide opportunities to take part in field initiatives that reflect the values of giving and responsibility while enhancing their understanding of the UAE’s role in extending relief and support globally.

WAM