The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is faced with a serious problem of the high unemployment rate and low political participation of youth. To address the problem, the authorities offer a wide range of opportunities to its young people to acquire and develop their potential. The UAE seeks to increase civic responsibility and leadership skills of youth because young people are considered to be an essential resource for the development of the country. It is the government’s responsibility to provide its young citizens with healthcare, housing, jobs, education, as well as opportunities to participate in decision- and policy-making processes.
Around 40 percent of the UAE’s population are young people, and the authorities understand that youth is a significant resource in driving the UAE forward. There are various platforms and programs which are available for the UAE’s young people to become leaders and be involved in the policy-making process. One of them is the UAE leadership development program that is designed to help young citizens get knowledge and experience to become political leaders (Kamali, 2018).
Young citizens have the opportunity to participate in various workshops, seminars, and training. Capacity-building is needed for long-term sustainability; therefore, the country seeks to engage the young generation in the policy-making process. The programs aim to encourage UAE youth to take ownership of assigned actions and tasks, drive governmental initiatives, enable collaboration, and analyze global trends. Another significant governmental initiative to inspire youth to become leaders is called “Youth Circles,” which are forums enabling youth to express their opinions on political, cultural, social, and economic issues.
Each Youth Circle participant has the right to voice his/her opinion to shape a policy or solution. Participants of the circles are young citizens of different genders, ages, and fields. Researchers note that Youth Circles are designed as a means of transmitting recommendations from inspired young citizens to the UAE authorities (Al Saleh, 2018). The main purpose of Youth Circles is to help both current political leaders and future leaders among youth to find the best solutions for specific issues.
There have already been many achievements through Youth Circles, including positive results in solving the problem of UAE youth unemployment. Researchers note that Youth Circles resulted in “partnering with Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai to develop youth enterprise support initiative” and “launching of Kafa’at Internship Fair, a partnership with Emirates Foundation to provide internship opportunities for students” (“Youth Circles – UAE”, 2017, para. 6).
The partnership and internship offer significant opportunities for career development to young people of the UAE. Through the internship, a young person can improve his professional skills. Moreover, it is an excellent opportunity for networking with future employers. Also, the UAE authorities help young citizens to become a part of the decision-making process by opening youth hubs and centers.
According to Alowais (2017), youth hubs aim at creating “strategic partnerships with public and private sector entities to create tangible data that could guide youth policy” (p. 33). The places are focused on maximizing the passion and potential of youth and encouraging their talents by creating an empowering space. The UAE Youth Programme, Youth Circles, and youth hubs empower young citizens to participate in the decision-making process. The active participation of youth in forums and programs fosters a new generation of leaders who will be capable of moving the country forward.
References
Al Saleh, A. (2018). Leisure activities among Emirati youth. (Zayed University Working Paper No. ZU-WP 2018-02). Web.
Alowais, F. (2017). Youth engagement: A case study of the Youth Circles Initiative in the UAE. Paper presented at the 3 rd International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP3), Singapore. Web.
Kamali, A. A. (2018). Leadership Development Programs (LDPs): Factors Impacting on Learning Transfer in Dubai Government Organisations. (Doctoral Dissertation, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia). Web.
Youth Circles – UAE. (2017). Web.