His Excellency Dr Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the Arab Youth Centre, led a delegation comprising representatives from the Federal Youth Authority and the Arab Youth Centre to participate in the First Arab Forum on the "Impact of Social Media on Youth". The forum was organised by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco with the aim of examining the challenges and opportunities associated with the digital space and promoting responsible, positive use of digital platforms by young people, within the framework of the Arab League's programmes.
His Excellency Dr Sultan Al Neyadi said that the United Arab Emirates is committed to developing legislation and initiatives that enhance generations' readiness to deal with digital challenges, supporting their ability to produce meaningful and impactful content for effective participation in the development journey. The digital space today represents one of the most prominent influences on the lives of Arab youth, he said, which requires building the skills that enable them to engage with changing realities responsibly and to benefit from the opportunities offered by modern technologies in ways that serve their aspirations and their communities.
His Excellency Al Neyadi added: "The world is witnessing an accelerating digital transformation that has made social media a powerful space, where young people possess enormous potential that qualifies them to contribute effectively to the production of knowledge. This calls for ongoing cooperation to exchange expertise among all Arab youth institutions and to develop joint initiatives that build capabilities and entrench a culture of positive use of digital platforms. This has been embodied in joint efforts that produced qualitative outcomes reflecting the importance of adopting an integrated approach, grounded in a set of fundamental steps that enhance the role of youth in harnessing modern technologies to serve their communities and strengthen development opportunities."
The forum concluded its proceedings with a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing digital awareness among youth. These included integrating digital education into educational institutions, raising awareness of the risks of digital addiction and its psychological and social effects, enabling families to support their children by guiding them towards healthy digital behaviours, as well as developing digital mental health programmes, strengthening personal data protection, and combating cybercrime and hate speech. The recommendations also called for raising the level of algorithmic transparency on digital platforms, encouraging Arab scientific research in the fields of digital media and artificial intelligence, and supporting youth initiatives to produce meaningful content that serves communities.
On the sidelines of the visit, His Excellency Dr Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi held a meeting with Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, Morocco's Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, during which they discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in youth-related fields and reviewed opportunities for exchanging expertise and experiences in developing initiatives and programmes aimed at empowering youth and enhancing their participation across various development sectors.
The visit also included a number of youth and academic institutions, among them the Dar Al Shabab youth centre and the Higher Institute of Media and Communications, to learn about their programmes and initiatives in youth-related fields, particularly with regard to capacity-building, which forms a cornerstone of development in nationally prioritised sectors.