You’re going to speak in front of the World Economic Forum. What will you be discussing?
I am very excited as I’m going to be representing the UAE. I’m going to be talking about various topics like employment, world peace, the economy, inflation, and we’d like to emphasise the importance of learning and how the education system should be developed.
And how nervous are you?
I know it’s a big responsibility, but I never knew it would be this big. I have to present in the best way and I want to transmit the opinion of the UAE very correctly and make sure it fully represents the country, as they believed in me.
Have you learned any tricks to reduce anxiety when it comes to speaking in front of so many people?
Actually, I am aware of the different techniques that you can use when on the podium. I’m the president of my school council so I’m used to doing speeches.
What are you hoping to achieve by speaking at the conference?
There are 20 people in the group and we’re all looking forward to a time when the opinion of young people is more carefully considered. There is a big generation gap in the UAE and we believe our views and opinions could be very useful in the future.
Do you represent UAE youth?
Maybe, as a UAE national, we are less concerned with politics as our political situation is very stable. And we’re very satisfied with our leader, so maybe this is not really a concern for UAE nationals. But UAE nationals are interested in diverse topics like the economy, education, health – many, many issues.
UAE nationals only make up a very small percentage of the population. Are you worried that the country is losing its sense of identity?
This issue was actually brought up during the selection process as we talked about the population and the quality of education. A lot of the UAE nationals are taking diverse majors at university – more UAE nationals are now employed in different jobs. So this means that UAE nationals are taking an active role in defining the country.
How much do the UAE youth care about education?
The number of people joining universities and colleges is increasing each year. People are concerned about actually learning rather than just obtaining certificates. The working market is very demanding – a bachelor’s degree is not enough any more, you need to have a masters degree to make yourself stand out.
Is there not something to be said for gaining practical experience in a job rather than just academic learning?
There is. Something unique I’ve noticed about a lot of UAE male students is that they study and they work at the same time. That’s very stressful but you need to get your information from several different sources.
The UAE has a massive carbon footprint. What plans do you have to address this?
The environment is very important. We are a young country and it’s possible that environmental issues were not fully addressed in the past. I’ve noticed that there’s been a big environmental drive and building and construction work is now being carefully looked at.
