The youth are the cornerstone of any development plan and their active contribution is not only necessary but also integral to the development process.

Right since its establishment, the UAE has adopted clear national policies and strategic plans to empower the youth and develop their capabilities.

The inauguration of the Youth Centre on Sunday on Abu Dhabi Corniche by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces highlights the keenness of the leadership to encourage youth to dream big and unleash their potential.

Interestingly, the centre, located on an area of 4,500-square metres, was built through the efforts, participation and management of young people in less than one year to embrace their creativity and enable them to exploit their full potential, within a modern and innovative environment that encourages the creation of leading youth communities.

The centre, which is the largest in the country and features state-of-the-art facilities and over 30 innovative service areas, includes 30 departments and creative spaces, as well as a branch of the ‘Emirates Youth Professional School’, a Federal Youth Authority initiative, launched by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid on the International Youth Day.

Youth centres are a successful model of empowering young people in various fields, providing a stimulating environment that enables them to embrace their energies and invest in their talents.

Youth centres help create an integrated society that embraces the energies of the youth, invests in their talents, and equips them with the necessary skills to assume their responsibilities to ensure the country’s sustainable development, and create a bright future for the coming generations based on the belief that the youth are the country’s renewable wealth.

As Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid mentioned, “I and my brother Mohamed Bin Zayed got firsthand experience of the Emirati model for youth empowerment which paves the way for institutionalising the youth sector in the country. Youth are the country’s most cherished asset, and we have together launched a new phase for continuing to develop the youth sector in a way that ensures our country will steer the helm globally with regards to youth empowerment.”

Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed, on his part, has reaffirmed that the nation bets on youth. “The role of youth on national development is sacrosanct to the whole developmental aspiration of the Emirati society. They are our true wealth, as we learned from the Founding Father late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. We are betting on them and expecting a lot from them; they are the source of creativity and innovation and on them we are pinning our hopes to ensure a leading position on the global stage.”

In April 2018, the UAE government approved the formation of the Federal Youth Authority. The authority coordinates with the local youth councils and ensures that the objectives, plans and activities of these councils are consistent with the UAE’s youth empowerment agenda.

The UAE offers excellent education opportunities to the Emirati youth, in addition to scholarships to study in one of the private colleges or universities specified by the Ministry of Education in the country and abroad.

The government supports youth businesses through dedicated funds and awards.

The UAE leadership certainly deserves praise for prioritising the youth in development plans and considering them the country’s true wealth.