Arab Youth Award to provide mentors

Cash prizes of between Dh30,000 and Dh50,000 for success in event focused specifically on North Africa this year

ABU DHABI // This year’s winners of the Arab Youth Award will not only be rewarded for their creativity and hard work, they will also be mentored to ensure that they remain productive members of society. The fourth International Award of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak for the Arab Youth is accepting nominations until July 31. The winners will receive cash prizes of between Dh30,000 and Dh50,000.

“We are focusing on post-winning support. We don’t want creativity to die in this person once he goes home. There will be an entire study on how to support winners in the UAE and in their countries,” said Ousha Al Suwaidi, the award’s general coordinator.

The award will send teams to visit Arab countries after liaising with their ministers and officials concerned with young people. That is to ensure that youth from across the Arab world get a chance to nominate themselves.

The award celebrates young, innovative Arab minds and encourages them to make a difference in their countries and across the region.

“Even if their country is not supporting them, the Mother of the Nation is providing her support,” Mrs Al Suwaidi said.

Although it has been a challenge to reach out to the youth in all the Arab countries, partly because of crises and turmoil in some, the award has allocated ambassadors from each country to promote the award and help people to apply.

This year the award is specifically targeting North Africa.

“We hope we will reach Sudan, this is my goal. Sudan is one of the hardest countries to reach. We’ve been calling their education ministry and their phone was off until today,” Mrs Al Suwaidi said.

The first category is for individuals who present scientific, social, sports or cultural projects and it will award Dh30,000 each to six winners. Three of the winners will be between 12 and 16 years old, and the other three between 17 and 21.

The prize for the second category is worth Dh40,000 for team projects that contribute to business development, science and technology, and social volunteer work. Four teams will be crowned winners.

The third category is for organisations that provide youth support programmes. There will be three winners, and each will be awarded Dh50,000.

Mrs Al Suwaidi said award officials would ensure that the heads of the organisations did not take the money for themselves.

In a previous year, a group of Palestinian high school pupils won an award for their project to launch a small school in Nablus before Israeli colonies had a chance to expand there. The award money was transferred to the head of the school, who did not give it to the pupils.

“The students’ parents told us about it and Sheikha Fatima sent an official legal document that awards the money to the students. It was an official document that they could take to court,” Mrs Al Suwaidi said.

“We don’t usually interfere in legal issues but those girls worked very hard and they had lost their rights, so we had to make sure that they received their reward.”

For more information and to register, visit arabyouthawards.net.

‘ Even if their country is not supporting them, the Mother of the Nation is providing her support Ousha Al Suwaidi general coordinator, International Award of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak for the Arab Youth