''Youth are the real wealth of our country and that it is our national duty to invest in their highest potential and empower them to contribute towards the sustainable development of our great nation, said H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah, while inaugurating the Emirates Foundation’s 2017 Youth Summit on Tuesday.

H.H. concluded by saying: "Youth today have the ability and strength to make tangible impact on our nation and we are committed to support, train and empower them to take on leadership roles and learn from the experiences of their peers and leading role models and excel in what they do and contribute to the growth and development of our nation.'' The Emirates Foundation today kicked off its fifth annual Youth Summit, under the theme "Guide.Empower.Future Leaders" in Ras al-Khaimah Exhibition Center, the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chairman of Emirates Foundation.

Taking place for the first time in Ras al-Khaimah, the Summit this year witnessed the presence and engagement of H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Managing Director of Emirates Foundation, and a wide range of participants from government, youth, and social investment experts to discuss key trends impacting the future of youth development and the role of youth in delivering impact and sustainability.

Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan said on the opening day of the Summit: "Attracting, developing and empowering youth is an essential ingredient to the advancement of our nation. Hence, putting in place strategic and focused youth development models is not only essential to accelerating progress, but will also contribute to our country’s growth and competitiveness."

He elaborated on the Summit by saying: "The Summit architecture and session structure this year have been designed to mobilize, engage and empower youth from across the UAE to take an active part in Emirates Foundation programs with the aim of enabling them to rise to the next level of leadership and maximize on their potential,"

He concluded by saying: "We are delighted to be hosting the Summit in Ras al-Khaimah and will continue to work closely with leaders and partners from both public and private sectors to adopt and execute impactful youth development initiatives across the nation. In addition, and as part of the Foundations growth strategy will be hosting the coming Summits in different Emirates every year to ensure our programs reach and impact the maximum number of youth."

The Summit this year aims to give youth the platform and opportunity to hear, meet and interact with top leading executives and officials from across public and private spheres across the UAE – thereby upgrading their skills and enriching their knowledge and networks to support their ideas, aspirations and ambitions.

The two-day summit includes a wide variety of interactive discussion tracks with the aim to provide a knowledge sharing platform and an opportunity to share the latest thinking in youth empowerment and development.

Commenting on the Summit, youth expressed their gratitude to the UAE leadership and Emirates Foundation for giving them this unique opportunity to participate, interact and learn from leaders and experienced youth across different spheres.

Emirates Foundation youth and volunteers further had the opportunity to show case their experiences and learnings ranging from volunteering to innovation and social entrepreneurship, giving prospective youth a deeper insight into the impact of Emirates Foundation programs and inspiring them to follow in their footsteps.

After visiting and interacting with youth at the Summit, a young volunteer said:" My experience at the Summit today has been exceptional as I had the chance to meet and learn from the Takatof volunteers and understand the real value of volunteering not just on my community but on my own personal development.."

The Think Science stand gained a lot of traction from science students who had the chance to meet and interact with Think Science ambassadors and learn about the opportunities offered to them to further develop their scientific ambitions. Commenting on his attendance a 2nd year science major student said: "My experience at the Summit today showed me what it takes to transform theoretical learning into practice. After seeing the amazing innovations presented by Think Science ambassadors I am very excited to apply to the Think Science competition next year and present my ideas."

Youth also had a unique opportunity through Kafaat to learn about ‘social entrepreneurship’ and the limitless ideas and possibilities of creating social impact. Commenting on her experience a young woman said: "I always thought solving social and community issues was done through charity – but today I learned what social entrepreneurship means and that we can create businesses that can solve a community challenge but also have a financial revenue. I am very excited about this and look forward to joining Emirates Foundation’s trainings in the future"

Maytha Al Habsi, Deputy CEO of Emirates Foundation said: "We are delighted to see so many youth taking part in the Summit this year, side by side with officials and decision makers from the private and public sectors. We believe that providing youth with this knowledge sharing and exchange platform is what will make the Youth Summit a success, enabling youth to expand their knowledge and networks. These are key steps in our support of youth to fulfill their ambitions and the sustainable development of our nation."

Tomorrow’s sessions will take a deeper dive into challenges faced by youth across different sectors promising another day of engaging discussions.