Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation affirmed that the Abu Dhabi 2017 World Skills Competition would strengthen the efforts of the UAE and its wise leadership to support the youth and new generations.

Al Hashimy was speaking during the closing session of the Forum of Ministers for Technical and Vocational Education, held by the Abu Dhabi 2017 World Skills Competition today, under the sponsorship of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The closing session was attended by Hussein bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, and several Arab and foreign ministers and officials.

Al Hashimy, said that hosting the Abu Dhabi 2017 World Skills Competition was an extension of the UAE's visionary approach to the future. She expressed her happiness and enthusiasm for being able to participate in the unique event.

This ministerial forum has become a platform for interaction with officials and experts, with more than 300 young men and women from across the world connecting together to find the best ways to create a future full of opportunities, she noted.

She stressed that the strength of any society lay on its youth, and if the young generation was qualified, confident in its steps and believed in its abilities, then the future would become more hopeful.

She pointed out that since the UAE’s inception, it had always supported the youth, their efforts and their creativity. Today, this approach continues through the vision of our wise leadership, which has focussed on providing specialised support to them by creating opportunities that nurture their talents and skills, she remarked.

"Since the day Dubai bid to host Expo 2020, we have realised that youngsters are the inspirational force that will guide this journey, and they are the backbone for all stages, from running and winning to the post-Expo stage," she said.

She highlighted that a large percentage of the employees at the Expo 2020 Dubai were young people aged between 20 and 30, who have come from more than 40 different countries.

"We have worked from the beginning to provide programmes that will encourage the talents of the younger generations, and to provide platforms that will integrate the youth into the decision-making processes to create a conscious, educated and responsible generation," she affirmed.