UAE National

Youth Agenda
CONTENTS
Introduction 4
How Does the UAE National Youth Agenda
Differ from Other Strategies? 5
Baseline Analysis 6
Benchmark Analysis 7
Vision 8
Objectives 9
Objective 1 - Engaged and Empowered Youth
who Actively Shape Local and Global Agendas 10
Objective 2 - Patriotic and Value-Driven
Youth who Embody UAE Identity and Culture 11
Objective 3 - Productive and Entrepreneurial
Youth who Realize their Full Potential 12
Objective 4 - Responsible and Stable Youth
who Plan for their Future 14
Objective 5 - Healthy and Safe Youth
who are Protected from Harm 17
Strategy Performance Management 19
References 19

UAE National
Youth Agenda 3
INTRODUCTION
Youth, which is defined as 15 - 30
years of age, represent over 40%
of the Emirati population in the
UAE and, as catalysts for the
nation’s development and growth,
drive all sectors of economic and
social life. The UAE Government
believes in the importance
of investing in its youth and
providing them with support and
adequate opportunities for them
to fully realize their potential. As
statistics discussed in the agenda
will demonstrate, young Emiratis
are eager to serve as productive
members of society, lead growth of
the nation, preserve its identity and
conduct meaningful lives as proud
and responsible citizens.
The Youth Agenda is the first
agenda for youth in the UAE that
covers all the aspects required to
improve their development and
productivity—from engagement
in policy making and agenda-
shaping to education, employment,
stability, housing, marriage, family
support, health and safety.
The development of the agenda
began with an extensive baseline
effort, which surveyed multiple
sources and gathered information
pertaining to youth ambitions,
challenges and opportunities.
These sources included the
UAE leadership in the form of
discussions and meetings held with
officials from various Government
organizations. Meetings were also
organized with the Local Youth
Council and Youth Circles, and a
comprehensive youth survey was
launched by the Youth Office.
Moreover, a detailed global
benchmarking analysis studied over
fifty youth strategies and reports
from around the world.
The National Youth Agenda is
actionable with objectives, key
performance indicators, initiatives,
and performance management
frameworks, ensuring that all
stakeholders can work together
over the next five years to achieve
its objectives efficiently and
effectively.
Finally, Sheikh Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice
President and Prime Minister of
the United Arab Emirates, and
the Ruler of Dubai stated that the
UAE: ‘was built by the nads and
achievements of youth. Youth is
our strength and speed and is our
treasure for the future.
UAE National
Youth Agenda 4
HOW DOES THE UAE
NATIONAL YOUTH
AGENDA DIFFER
FROM OTHER
STRATEGIES?
The UAE National Youth Agenda differs from other global strategies
targeting youth in the following aspects:

1. For the first time, a Youth

Agenda is developed by the
youth, and for the youth,
taking into account that the
Minister of State for Youth
Affairs and her team are
all youth;
2. Youth mainstreaming and
engagement are at the heart
of the agenda through unique
initiatives such as Youth Circles
and Youth Councils;
3. The Youth Agenda has the
global aim to position Emirati
youth as role models for youth
around the world;
4. The Youth Agenda is actionable
with objectives, KPIs, initiatives,
and performance management
and governance frameworks;
5. The Youth Agenda involves all
stakeholders in the community,
from the government to the
private sector and the youth;
6. The Youth Agenda is based on
multiple sources of information:
government leadership, private
sector stakeholders, and the
youth;
7. The Youth Agenda is inclusive
of all youth and speaks to them
in their language.

UAE National
Youth Agenda 5
BASELINE ANALYSIS
The development of the National Youth Agenda began with an extensive baseline effort, which gathered
information from multiple sources. These included youth statistics, leadership meetings, youth feedback from
Local Youth Councils, Youth Circles, the Youth Survey, and social media feeds; and related national strategies
as follows:

Existing youth statistics - a review
was concluded of all available,
current statistics related to the
youth.
UAE leadership meetings -
meetings with leadership in
various fields to gain a first-hand
understanding of pressing youth
issues and goals from their
perspectives.
Local Youth Councils - a review
of the feedback from local Youth
Council meetings, held to discuss
youth ambitions and challenges.
Youth Circles- the organization
of Youth Circles across the UAE to
engage with youth from various
backgrounds and sectors.
Youth Survey – the launch of
a qualitative online survey that
ran from August to September
2016 and collected around 8,000
responses from youth, providing
feedback on critical topics.
Social Media Feed – a review of
all feedback from youth on social
media.
#TheNationalDialogueOnYouth
– the launch of a federal-wide
online campaign by HH Sheikh
Mohammad bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Vice President and
Prime Minister of the UAE and
Ruler of Dubai, for youth to express
their dreams, aspirations and
concerns.
Youth Retreat – the organisation
of a two-day retreat, playing a
major role in developing the Youth
Agenda. The retreat gathered
more than one hundred Emirati
youth, who brainstormed the most
critical issues relevant to the UAE’s
future, generated creative and
sustainable ideas and proposed
strategies for successful growth and
development. Several Ministers
attended the Youth Retreat
to engage with youth on the
policymaking process.
National Strategies – a review of
national strategies that have thus
far addressed youth goals and
challenges.

UAE National
Youth Agenda 6
BENCHMARK
ANALYSIS
A detailed global benchmarking analysis was conducted to study youth strategies from around the world.
Youth strategies and surveys were reviewed in detail for Ireland, United Kingdom, Finland, Germany, Canada,
Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Australia and South Africa.
Moreover, key youth performance indicators were reviewed from over 32 countries including France, Sweden,
the United States, China, Russia, Italy, Austria and others. In addition, a thorough review was conducted of
global youth reports, such as the EU Youth Report 2015 and the Eurobarometer Youth Survey 2015 as well as
reports by the OECD, World Bank, and the World Health Organization.

The benchmark analysis demonstrated that, in general, youth strategies concentrated on five key areas:

1. Education and training: 2. Economic security: ensuring 3. Health and well-being:

strengthening education
pathways, ensuring equal access
to education and equipping
youth with skills required for
success in the job market
that young people have enabling youth to enjoy a
employment prospects as healthy and active lifestyle,
well as the drive to perform in both physically and mentally
an entrepreneurial environment

For each of these five focus

4. Safety and protection:
ensuring that young people
and, in particular, vulnerable
and marginalized youth feel
safe and supported at home, in
school, and in their communities
5. Civic and social engagement:
empowering youth to be both
active local and global citizens
areas, the benchmarking
analysis highlighted
the objectives of the
different countries, the key
performance indicator results,
as well as particularly inspiring
and creative initiatives

UAE National
Youth Agenda 7
VISION
Productive youth with an
entrepreneurial spirit who realize
their full potential and embody
Emirati values

UAE National
Youth Agenda 8
 OBJECTIVES
The UAE National Youth Agenda outlines five key objectives to achieve
its vision within the next five years:

1. Engaged and Empowered Youth

who Actively Shape Local and
Global Agendas

2. Patriotic and Value-Driven

Youth who Embody UAE
5. Healthy and Safe
Identity and Culture
Youth who are Protected
from Harm

3. Productive and Entrepreneurial

4. Responsible and Stable Youth
Youth who Realize their Full
who Plan for their
Potential
Future

UAE National
Youth Agenda 9
Objective 1 - Engaged and Empowered
Youth who Actively Shape Local and
Global Agendas
Priority 1 - Engaged youth in
shaping policy and solutions
locally and globally
Background
Global Recognition of the
Importance of Youth Participation:
Over the last decade, the
international community has
begun to acknowledge the right
and ability of young people to play
a key role in policy and decision-
making. Governments around the
world are implementing initiatives
that aim to include the youth in
dialogues affecting their lives and
nations.
nation’s productivity and catalysts
for positive transformation.
Young Emiratis are eager to shape
the world around them and
demonstrate their capacity for
influencing legislation, initiatives
and perceptions on local and global
matters. The UAE Government
realizes that its youth can
effectively and innovatively put
forward solutions to the challenges
they face and, through their unique
perspectives, harness opportunities
that will allow them to reach their
full potential.

Youth in the UAE: The UAE has

witnessed rapid growth and UAE’s Leading Role in Youth
economic development over Mainstreaming: In this context,
the last 40 years led by a young the UAE aims to lead the
generation of dreamers and doers. international effort in youth
The youth represent around 40 mainstreaming. The leadership’s
percent of the local population goal is to engage and empower
and have been engines for the youth to become active
participants and leaders in policy
making. It has initiated this effort
by instating a Minister of State for
Youth Affairs, Shamma Bint Sohail
bin Faris Al Mazrui, at the age of 22
the youngest Minister in the world
and now the voice and advocate
of Emirati youth. Moreover, the
UAE has established the Emirates
Youth Council, composed of
young members from across the
country to act as the Government’s
advisory arm for all policies and
issues related to the youth. It also
established the Youth Office,
entrusted with the task of creating
mechanisms to listen to the youth
and to engage them on local and
global policies and initiatives.
The Youth Office, in particular,
has taken this task to heart and
launched local Youth Councils in
every emirate in the country as
well Youth Circles, an initiative
that brings together youth from
the community to discuss issues
relevant to them.
Looking ahead, the UAE is proud
to be the first country in the
Arab world to introduce a Youth
Engagement Policy. As the world’s
first national youth engagement
policy created by youth, this policy
presents and enforces governance
and engagement tools that will
enable youth to engage in and
influence all issues affecting their
lives.

UAE National
Youth Agenda 10
 Culture and Knowledge Development plays a key role in implementing
initiatives that preserve national identity and strengthen the youth’s sense
of belonging. Through its cultural programs, the Ministry aims to raise their
level of cultural awareness and enforce Emirati traditions among youth.
In activating this mission, the Ministry of Tolerance plays the critical role
of promoting tolerance and celebrating difference for the UAE’s diverse
population.

Moreover, Emirates Youth Council is undertaking a leading role in this area

through the launch of “The National Emirates Youth Values Programme”
in June, 2016 under the Patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint
Mubarak with a mission to instill Emirati youth with national values in
order to raise active, responsible, and socially conscious citizens. The
program will be rolled out across the country in partnership with academic
institutions, as well as public and private sectors.

Objective 2 - Patriotic and Value-Driven
Youth who Embody UAE Identity and
Culture
Priority 1 - Patriotic and value-
driven youth who embody Emirati
identity and spirit
Background
Emiratis are proud and patriotic
citizens with a strong sense of
belonging to the UAE and an
unwavering commitment to
the values of their leadership.
In 2014, Emiratis scored 91% on
the National Identity Index[3], a
composite indicator that measures
the sense of belonging and national
identity of citizens, conducted
by the Ministry of Culture and
Knowledge Development.
Moreover, according to the findings
of the 2012 UAE National Values
Survey announced by Barrett
Values Centre, three values—
respect, family and ethics–were
identified by participants as the
cornerstones of UAE culture. As
for Emirati youth, In response to
a current youth survey led by the
Youth Office, the top four values
that UAE youth identified as
most important to them were (1)
national pride and love and loyalty
to the country, (2) ambition, (3)
respect and tolerance, (4) and
connection with Emirati culture,
heritage, and tradition [1].
Nonetheless, at a time of rapid
globalization and the looming
global threat of radicalization, the
UAE government plays a pivotal
role in ensuring that national values
and identity are deeply rooted
in Emirati youth. The Ministry of
Priority 2 - Socially active
and responsible youth who
are loyal citizens living for a
purpose
Background
Volunteer work expands
understanding of other people’s
lives and provides a new view of the
world and the problems within it.
Volunteering amid even the most
severe social problems can often be a
long-lasting source of personal hope.
The majority of Emirati youth—
around 57%—prefer to contribute to
society by giving money to a charity
or a good cause while 25% volunteer
their time to a cause and 18% do not
engage in either activity on a monthly
basis [2].
Several volunteering initiatives have
been on the rise in the UAE. However, Moreover, it is imperative to
with a relatively low volunteering
rate, there is an opportunity
to encourage more youth to
participate in volunteering
through:
• Understanding the perspectives
of youth towards volunteering
and possible impediments to
participation in community
service
• Spreading awareness about
volunteering opportunities at
schools, universities and public
arenas
• Using peer pressure through
social media platforms to
engage a larger number of
youth
• Recognizing and rewarding
volunteering youth to establish
community role models
provide opportunities for the
youth to engage in social activities.
An environment that is rich with
cultural, artistic and community
events has a positive impact on the
way youth develop and connect to
one another and to their country.
In addition, it is imperative that
UAE youth also understand and
appreciate cultural exchange in
order to develop into well rounded
adults who understand the
world around them. There is an
opportunity to strengthen efforts
in this area and provide youth with
more opportunities for cultural
understanding at a school and
university level.

UAE National
Youth Agenda 11
Objective 3 - Productive and
Entrepreneurial Youth who Realize their
Full Potential
Priority 1 - Educated youth
in demanded specialisations
Background
School Level Education
The UAE attaches great importance
to education especially at a time
when the nation is diversifying
its economy and evolving into
a knowledge-based economy.
In recent years, the focus has
increasingly been on the training of
teachers, the provision of a student-
centred approach to learning and
the development of a curriculum
that meets local and global needs.
This agenda focuses on the school-
level education of youth aged 15
to 18 emphasizing areas that will
enable them to make a smooth
transition into university, such as
enrollment, STEM specialization,
learning outcomes, and motivation.
Enrollment: The upper secondary
graduation rate is relatively high at
86%[3]. Nonetheless, the reasons
that lead Emirati students to drop
out include the lack of desire to
learn due to poor performance or
demotivation (often attributed
to poorly educated parents), the
lack of academic engagement from
parents, teachers or schools, and
the pressure to generate income
at a young age due to family
circumstances.
STEM: Secondary students do not
favor the STEM track despite the
increasingly high job-demand for
STEM majors over the last 10 years.
This issue is attributed to a lack of
interest in STEM topics, the lack of
awareness of STEM career tracks,
and few national STEM role models
who are recognized and celebrated.
Learning Outcomes: There is
an opportunity for students to
improve their learning outcomes
as UAE ranks 46th in the PISA test
(out of 65 countries) and 78%
continue to enroll in a foundation
year[3]. Low learning outcomes
have been attributed to unqualified
teachers and academic curriculum
and pedagogy, which are all
being rigorously addressed and
developed by federal and local
education stakeholders.
Motivation: A full assessment of
student motivation and attitudes
towards learning is required.
Parental involvement, additionally,
plays a major role in inspiring
students to achieve and pursue
their passion.
Higher Education
Improving access to quality higher
education is a national priority.
Recent investment and efforts have
expanded enrollment in the UAE’s
higher education sector. Students
are equipped with internationally
recognized qualifications that
prepare them for employment in
the UAE’s economy.
STEM in Higher Education:
Students continue to major in
fields that are less demanded
by the market and hence find
difficulty in securing employment.
In 2014 the majority (67%)
of higher education students
specialized in non-STEM majors
such as business administration,
law/sharia, humanities, mass
communication and PR, while
only 33 % specialized in STEM[4].
Stronger career counseling is
required at the secondary level
to support students in choosing
university specialisations.
Vocational Education and Training:
Vocational education is an essential
component of the UAE’s education
system, especially as the country
builds new sectors that require
technical skills and knowledge.
Vocational education provides
an opportunity for the youth to
discover alternative pathways to
careers and enables them to build
the skills they need to enter the job
market.
More than 4,600 Emiratis
graduated from the Abu
Dhabi Centre for Technical
and Vocational Education and
Training (ACTVET) between 2010
and 2013[5] and proceeded to
become successfully employed.
Students with vocational education
experience higher rates of
employment at graduation than
higher education students.
However, there are challenges
involved in attracting students into
vocational education, including
societal perception of vocational
education holders, affecting the
desire of students to pursue it,
and the lack of awareness about
career opportunities available to
vocational degree holders.
UAE National
Youth Agenda 12
Priority 2 - Employed youth
in both private and public
sectors
Background
Youth employment is a strategic
priority for the UAE as the
nation prepares for the post-
oil economy. This priority will
require strategic investment in
skills development and capacity
building to ensure sustainable
and inclusive economic growth.
Moreover, youth unemployment
has significant economic and
societal consequences, including
inequality and social exclusion—
factors that fuel social discontent
and create the breeding ground for
the manipulation of young people
by malicious forces.
Unemployment: In the UAE, youth
unemployment figures are relatively
low compared to regional and
global statistics, yet Emirati youth
unemployment is high compared
to overall UAE unemployment.
While overall unemployment in
the UAE was 3.7% in 2015, 11%
of Emiratis between 15 and 24
were unemployed. Moreover,
while 9.1% of young Emirati men
are unemployed, the number
of unemployed Emirati women
between 15 and 24 is considerably
higher at 18.3% due to family/
cultural obligations[6].
Key factors causing youth
unemployment:
• Youth prefer to work in
Government jobs - 54% of
youth said in a recent Youth
Office survey that they
sought public sector jobs [7].
The youth seek to pursue
careers in government due
to high salaries, job security,
job benefits, familiarity with the
work culture, shorter work
hours and lesser work pressure.
Such demand for public sector
jobs is not sustainable, as many
youth do not look towards
other forms of employment or
economic activity.
• Emirati youth prioritize level
of income as the most
important factor when
deciding on a job (23%),
followed by passion for the job
(21%), usefulness to society and
the country (19%) and work-life
balance (11%) [8]. Youth should
be encouraged to prioritize
passion for the job, and its
usefulness to society and the
economy. Most importantly,
young adults should be inspired
to pursue careers that provide
intellectual enrichment - and
not just financial enrichment.
STEM Sectors: As the UAE
diversifies into major non-oil
sectors of the future such as
aerospace, renewable energy and
smart city technology, we are
seeing an increased need for local
youth to enter these sectors and
prepare for leadership roles. The
number of youth required in these
sectors needs to be calculated, and
skills required need to be taught
through higher education and
vocational training.

Priority 3 - Entrepreneurial youth classified as self-employed accessible to entrepreneurs

youth that are innovative
and competitive
Background
The UAE believes that fostering
entrepreneurship will drive the
creation of jobs and contribute to
the development of an innovation-
driven economy especially as
the nation diversifies into new
sectors reliant on innovation and
creativity. The country has recently
witnessed several major initiatives
supporting entrepreneurship: His
Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin
Rashid announced 2015 as the
Year of Innovation, Dubai Future
Accelerators was launched, and
new incubators and accelerators
have been established by the
private and public sectors.
Youth Entrepreneurs: Despite
all these efforts, the level of
entrepreneurial activity among
young Emiratis remains low. UAE
and employers account for only
1% of the employed youth [9]
(compared to 35% in Lebanon and
30% in South Korea). Moreover,
24% of youth in the UAE aspire
to become entrepreneurs [10]
showcasing a clear interest but a
lack of ability or opportunity to
enter entrepreneurial ventures.
Key deterring factors for youth
entrepreneurship include a
preference for public sector jobs as
well as cultural characteristics such
as high fear of failure and low risk
tolerance.
Entrepreneurial environment: There
is a major opportunity to strengthen
the entrepreneurial environment:
• A champion of entrepreneurship
is lacking and hence initiatives
are fragmented without any
existing assessment of their
cumulative impact
• Funding can be made more
• Access to infrastructure,
human capital and mentoring
can be reinforced
• Intellectual capital can be
better protected by law
and the patenting
process can be shortened
• Entrepreneurship can be
integrated into school and
university level education
• Youth entrepreneur role models
can be celebrated and
promoted
• The culture can become more
supportive and encouraging to
entrepreneurs
Priority 4 - Creative youth
who are talented and
expressive
Background
Youth with outstanding talent
are those who perform or show
the potential for performing
at remarkably high levels of
accomplishment when compared
with others their age, experience, or
environment. These youth exhibit
the capability for high performance
in intellectual, creative, and/or
artistic areas, possess an unusual
leadership capacity, or excel in
specific academic fields. They
require services not ordinarily
provided at schools.
The UAE realizes the importance
of nurturing talented youth and,
moreover, not only selecting them
but identifying and developing
their talent from an early stage.
Talent selection is the culling
of talented youth with the
current ability to participate
and to be successful in activities
taking place in the near future.
Talent identification, on the
other hand, is the prediction
of future performance based
upon an evaluation of current
physical, technical, tactical
and psychological qualities.
Talent selection is simple; talent
identification is an art. One yields
great results today; the other builds
elite artists, musicians, writers and
Nobel prize winners in the future.
Identification of creative and
talented youth in the UAE mostly
happens at schools and universities
where youth can showcase their
unique abilities in various fields.
Currently, there is an opportunity
to implement the following efforts
in these areas:
• Unify the fragmented efforts
to scout and develop talented
youth at academic institutions
and community centers across
the country
• Create clear mechanisms for
the identification of talent
• Develop and implement
approaches for nurturing
and accommodating talented
youth at schools, universities
and in the community such as
acceleration, enrichment and
mentoring
• Track and measure all related
initiatives for impact

UAE National
Youth Agenda 13

Objective 4 - Responsible and Stable
Youth who Plan for their Future
Priority 1 - Visionary Youth
who plan for their future
Background
Planning ahead is a key skill for
youth to achieve their academic,
professional and family goals. There
is a clear opportunity to support
Emirati youth in acquiring this skill
as 21% said that they do not know
what they would like to achieve in
the next 5 years[11].
Providing youth with the know-
how and skill to develop plans will
allow them to identify associated
risks, become proactive rather than
reactive to events, and improve
performance.
• For a working professional, it
means understanding their
Planning ahead means the
career track and what it takes
following for UAE youth:
to grow in their chosen field in
order to build the right skill and
• For a high school student, it
achieve results that will
means researching and seeking
allow them to gain a promotion
support to thoroughly
and move up the ladder. It also
understand career fields and
means saving income in order
choices in order to select the
to be prepared to afford
right major for them
the costs of buying a house and
• For a university student, it
starting a family.
means studying the market
needs, identifying the job
Some of the key skills that
options they like the most and
will be addressed in this area
preparing to apply and
include planning ahead, scenario
compete for those jobs ahead
forecasting, risk taking, time
of time
management and decision making.
Priority 2 - Family-
supported and family-
oriented youth
Background
Receiving family support (for
younger youth): Parents and
families are the single most
important influence in the lives
of youth. Good parenting is
crucial to young people’s social,
emotional, cognitive and physical
development. Those who grow up
in a loving environment are more
likely to develop into healthy and
happy adults with high aspirations
and a good chance of realizing their
full potential.
There is an opportunity to
enhance certain parenting and
family support aspects currently
prevalent in some Emirati families
by encouraging parents to:
• Spend more quality time with
youth, asking about their issues
and challenges and offering
a listening ear and advice when
needed, with the aim to
become their go-to people
when they have a problem
• Decrease youth dependence
and access to domestic
help in order to increase
their sense of responsibility
• Decrease the amount of money
provided to youth and instead
offer them opportunities to
earn in order to enhance their
appreciation of money
• Offer youth opportunities
to make their own decisions
in order to build their
confidence and decision-
making skills
• Recognize youth’s achievements
and appreciate them in order to
encourage further achievement
and hard work
• Remain active and integrated
into the youth’s academic
life, following up on their
results and maintaining a strong
relationship with their teachers
and school staff
Starting and maintaining a loving
family: Many Emiratis in the youth
age bracket enter into marriage
and begin to establish a family. A
challenge to marriage stability is the
high divorce rate between Emiratis,
which is considered a major societal
concern. In the space of three years
between 2011 and 2013, more than
12,000 couples in the UAE filed for
divorce—equivalent to 11 couples
a day—out of which more than a
third were Emirati couples [12].
Some of the biggest factors of
divorce include: reliability on
others, inability or disinterest in
taking on responsibility,
age at marriage, interference of
family members, financial issues
and lack of communication.
Another challenge is the high
cost of marriage, which many
Emirati youth mention as an
impediment to marriage and the
start of married life with high
debt. Nonetheless, divorce rates
have not been examined for youth
specifically, nor have the reasons
behind separation of young
couples and obstacles to a cohesive
family life.
Providing family support as a
parent (for older youth): When
youth start a family and have kids
of their own, they need to prepare
for the important task of parenting,
which will be the most influential
factor in their children’s happiness,
ambitions and personality. There
is an opportunity to better
prepare youth for the parenting
journey and equip them with the
knowledge they need to raise
healthy, confident, ambitious and
happy children.
UAE National
Youth Agenda 14
Priority 3 - Fiscally
accountable youth

Background in the UAE often struggle to

Fiscal accountability has emerged
as an increasingly important issue
particularly in light of the global
recession, in which managing debt
emerged as a salient subject. Young
Emiratis must learn how to avoid
excessive debt and manage their
finances such that they can provide
for themselves and their loved ones
throughout their lifetime. Research
has shown that young people
around the world and particularly
manage the wide array of sources
of debt.
Therefore, there is an opportunity
to strengthen financial awareness
amongst Emirati youth and to
train them on managing their
expenses and remaining fiscally
responsible as shown by the below
statistics[13]:

Priority 4 - Supported and Integrated Youth (Special needs

• 70 percent of young Emiratis
are in debt mainly for spending
beyond their means on
personal loans, credit expenses,
and car loans
• Youth in UAE spend most
of their income on fashion, with
Emirati youth spending 3 times
more than their expatriate Arab
and Asian counterparts
• Out of every Dh100 spent
by the average UAE youth,
almost Dh40 goes on clothing
and nearly Dh35 on mobile
phones average UAE youth
youth)
Background
Improving the quality of life for individuals with special needs is a priority
of the UAE Government. There are currently 2,754 disability cards issued to
Emiratis aged 15 to 30 years old (out of which 1,013 are females and 1,743
are males) and 1,321 disability cards issued to non-Emiratis aged 15 to 30
years old[14]. The UAE is committed to building inclusion and integrating
youth with special needs into society and the wider economy.

UAE National
Youth Agenda 15
 Priority 5 - Environmentally
responsible youth who are
advocates for sustainability
Background
The UAE has embarked on a
journey to achieve sustainable
development and to increase
the contributing share of clean
energy towards total energy. The
country has witnessed major
efforts in this area such as UAE’s
Green Development Strategy,
which adopts green economy as
a strategic option to direct the
national economy towards a green,
sustainable and low carbon future,
green architecture initiatives,
sustainable transportation, efficient
resource consumption initiatives,
and major solar energy projects
such as Masdar City, Shams Solar
Plant, and Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum Solar Park Projects.
The youth have a major role to play
in the following areas:
Educating the UAE youth and
preparing them to lead the
country’s sustainable future
is a priority in the national
environmental awareness strategy.
The Ministry of Climate Change
and Environment continues to
encourage the youth to innovate
and play an active part of global
environmental efforts.

• Proposing creative ideas and innovative • Engaging more actively in decision-

solutions for environmental issues in making on local and global climate
order to achieve the goals of the UAE policies and initiatives
Vision 2021

• Raising awareness regarding environmental • Adopting new environmentally

issues in society through volunteerism in friendly practices and innovations
awareness campaigns and the use of modern means such as eco-friendly cars, carpooling and
of communication in order to spread positive electricity preservation behaviors,
environmental behavior and knowledge for instance

UAE National
Youth Agenda 16
 Exercise: 36% of Emirati youth say
they exercise at least three times
a week and 25% say they do not
exercise whatsoever[15].
Jyo John Mulloor
Cardiovascular Diseases: The
rate of death from cardiovascular
diseases in the UAE is among the
highest in the world (298 deaths
per 100,000 population[18]).
Young Emiratis are vulnerable
to heart diseases because of bad
eating habits, high blood pressure,
obesity and high rates of diabetes.
Moreover, many suffer from high
blood pressure but do not know
about it.
Drug Abuse: Youth drug-use
statistics and the specifics of
their situation require further
exploration. Overall drug abuse
is attributed to peer pressure, life
stresses, and problems at home.
Seeking help for addiction has
become easier and the associated
social stigma of being admitted for
drug-use is decreasing.

Obesity: Exact obesity rates
amongst Emirati youth have not
been determined; however, on
average, more than 33% of UAE
nationals are obese and 60%
are either obese or overweight.
Obesity results in more instances of
diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular
disease[16]. Reasons for obesity
include leading a poor lifestyle with
long working hours, lack of activity
and readily available fast food
choices.
Objective 5 - Healthy and Safe Youth
who are Protected from Harm
Priority 1 - Healthy youth who lead active lifestyles
Mental Health: Mental health is
a priority for the UAE; however,
there is a lack of information for
Emirati youth in particular. The
stigma associated with psychiatric
disorders prevents young
Emiratis from seeking help from
professionals. Educating the youth
and parents about mental health
and the appropriate channels to
seek support is crucial to dealing
effectively with mental illness.
Smoking: Tobacco use is growing
in the country as younger
individuals continue to adopt
forms of tobacco such as shisha
(waterpipes) and midwakh (pipe
tobacco). Youth statistics are not
available; however, 22% of the
UAE’s adult population already
smoke some form of tobacco[19].

Background
Maintaining health and regular physical activity enables youth to improve
strength and endurance, reduce anxiety and stress, increase self-esteem,
Diabetes: Exact diabetes rates amongst Emirati youth have not been determined; however, in 2013, the World
and decrease the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular
Health Organization revealed that the UAE ranked 16th worldwide in the prevalence of diabetes with 19%[17] of
diseases in the UAE.
the UAE population living with diabetes. These statistics indicate that the UAE has high risk factors for diabetes,
mostly related to rising obesity rates and physical inactivity.

UAE National
Youth Agenda 17
Priority 2 - Athletic youth who excel in various sports Priority 3 - Safe youth who are protected from harm
Background Background
Enabling youth to excel in sports and build their athletic abilities is a The safety of Emirati youth is paramount. UAE youth need to feel safe and protected at home, in school, in
priority for the UAE. The sports sector is governed by several federations,
associations, clubs, committees and councils that are all working to enable their communities and online. They should feel empowered to seek help and speak out when feeling unsafe or
sports participation and empower youth across the country. vulnerable.

Community Sports Facilities:

Across the UAE, free community
sports facilities are available for
the youth. A key requirement
is providing additional air-
conditioned spaces for the hot
months of the year.

Sports at School: The availability
of sports facilities at schools in the
UAE is a factor of school evaluation
rankings and hence schools
must ensure they provide multi-
purpose gymnasiums, courts and
swimming pools in their campuses.
Moreover, students are required
to undertake sports classes and
are encouraged to participate in
sports competitions. The challenge
that remains prevalent, however,
is the lack of proper scouting
and development of student
athletes that exhibit superior
skills. As a result, many talented
student athletes lose interest
and experience deterioration of
performance over time.
Sports at University: In athletically
developed countries, a major
emphasis is placed on sports at the
university level and students are
developed to become the nation’s
future Olympians and athletes.
These efforts include creating
a competitive sports culture
at universities where students
gather to watch and support
their fellow student athletes
compete against other universities;
experienced coaches work with
students to hone and improve
their athletic abilities; and trained
professionals scout and recruit
talented athletes to join national
clubs and competitions. There is a
major opportunity to improve this
university sports ecosystem in the
UAE.
Sports Culture: There is an
opportunity to strengthen and
diversify the sports culture in the
UAE and enable it as a “Way of
Life”. Emirati youth and men in
particular are more interested
in watching soccer rather than
participating in it while other
sports such as Jiu-Jitsu are
increasingly emerging as favorites
among the youth.
Extremism and security
preparedness: The UAE strongly
condemns terrorism and extremism
and is committed to confronting,
degrading and eradicating
extremism in all its forms. The
Government is especially keen on
eradicating extremism amongst
the youth and preparing them to
secure and defend themselves and
their country through programs
such as the UAE National Service,
Sanid and other initiatives that
include strengthening cyber
security to prevent recruitment by
extremists.
Road accidents: Road accidents Domestic Violence: Domestic
are the second largest cause of violence cases appear to be on
deaths in UAE; deaths due to the rise in the UAE, as per the
accidents have been increasing Dubai Foundation for Women
every year. According to WHO, and Children (the only refuge for
victims of such violence) that has
residents of UAE are 7 times more
likely to die in a car accident as noted an increase in cases involving
compared to residents in the Emiratis.
United Kingdom. Moreover, road
accidents are the primary cause
of deaths of children and youth in
UAE. In Abu Dhabi alone, 63% of
deaths are caused by road traffic
accidents[20]. Most accidents are
due to reckless driving and the
careless attitudes of radical actors.

Bullying: Bullying is a problem that affects youth worldwide and needs to be addressed at schools, universities,
homes and the community. Youths who are bullied are more likely to experience depression and anxiety,
increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and a loss of interest in
activities that they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood. Parents, school staff, and other adults
in the community can support youth by talking about bullying with them, building a safe school environment,
and creating community-wide bullying prevention strategies. Bullying comes in different forms, such as physical,
emotional or verbal, gossip, cyber-bullying, exclusion, and harassment. The UAE Government is aware of the
need to prevent bullying and has taken key steps at schools to ensure that communication channels are open
between students, parents, teachers and administrative staff and instances of bullying are reported and addressed
appropriately. Nonetheless, this issue requires constant attention and awareness efforts in the community.

UAE National
Youth Agenda 18

STRATEGY
PERFORMANCE [4] The UAE Higher Education
MANAGEMENT Factbook 2013/2014, Ministry of
Education
[5] Abu Dhabi Centre for
Technical and Vocational
A performance management framework was designed to ensure all Education and Training ACTVET
initiatives and KPIs in the UAE National Youth Agenda are assigned [6] International Labor
a champion from the public and/or private sectors and are tracked
periodically and supported. Organization (ILO)
References: [7] Youth Office Survey 2016
[8] Youth Office Survey 2016
[1] Youth Office Survey 2016 [9] Youth and Entrepreneurship
[2] Youth Office Survey 2016 in UAE Study, Khalifa Fund for
[3] UAE Vision 2021 Enterprise Development
[10] Youth Office Survey 2016
[11] Youth Office Survey 2016
[12] Federal Competitiveness and
Statistics Authority
[13] The ASDA’A Burson-
Marsteller Arab Youth Survey,
2010-2011, The “Nielsen Next:
Understanding youth in the UAE”
study , 2011
[14] Ministry of Community
Development
[15] Youth Office Survey 2016
[16] Global Burden Of Disease
study 2013
[17] International Diabetes
Federation 2015
[18] World Health Organization
2013
[19] Ministry of Health and
Prevention 2010
[20] Health Authority Abu Dhabi
2009
UAE National
Youth Agenda 19
 www.youth.gov.ae

emiratesyouth emiratesyouth Emirates Youth