Business & Money | Thursday 11 October, 2018 3:14 am |

The second edition of Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations 2018 came to a close today in Abu Dhabi. Held under the patronage of His Highness Mohamed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the event saw more than 200 interactive sessions conducted over two days. The event welcomed a large volume of VIP guests, delegates and speakers, including His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed himself, who toured the event space late on the day two.

 

The latter stages of the Majlis saw an impressive array of activities, workshops and discussions, bringing together elite speakers from high-ranking officials in the UAE, and a number of international and local speakers.

 

His Highness Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s rallying close

 

Following a rousing start to the day, brought to students by H.E Dr. Al Falasi and H.E Al Hamli, they were also treated in the afternoon keynote sessions, which were officially closed by His Highness Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior for the UAE.

 

H.H Saif Bin Zayed left students with a message of independent strength and national solidarity: “Remember that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the government sees in each and every one of you the strongest link,” he said.

 

“I call you the warriors of the future,” he said with conviction. “You are the true wealth of our nation - you are our treasure. I’m convinced that you believe the UAE deserves to be number one, just as Sheikh Mohammed, Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Khalifa have said before. We can make their dreams come true, just as they have made our dreams come true,” he stated to rapturous applause.

 

He continued, explaining how today’s youth can lead the nation forward by adopting the same mindset on knowledge and growth as the late Sheikh Zayed. “His father and their forefathers taught him the value of shared wisdom – of developing the next generation by passing on their combined experiences.”

 

He then added a highly personal touch, explaining how, led by his ambition, the Founding Father provided his sons with the knowledge not only of horses and camels, but also aircrafts. They built upon this knowledge in the modern age, and have now equipped the next generation with the wisdom they need to reach space.

On such a note, he closed with a simple but important question: What will you teach your children to ride in the future?

 

“This Majlis is here to bridge the gap to ensure that your preparation is a continuation of ambition.”

 

Other great speakers in the assembly hall included Mohammed Alabbar, who discussed the role of technology in driving the economy.

 

“Through technology and social networks, our economy can grow and drive us to a bright future,” he said. Closing with a call to action: “Purpose and action-oriented discipline, that’s the goal.”

 

Mubadala Group CEO and FAB Board Member, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak talked about his experiences in business, and explained how he believes the secret to a successful investment is trust and intuition. Through his career, he has found they form “The building blocks to the development of strong businesses.”

 

In summary, the final speaking list for the day included highlights from, His Highness Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; H.E Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; H.E Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge; H.E Nasser Al Hamli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization; H.E Hessa Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development; H.E Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi; Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills; H.E Shamma Bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Youth Affairs; H.E Mariam Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Food Security; H.E Sarah bin Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences; and H.E. Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of Artificial Intelligence.

 

Highlights from the event floor

 

Main central Majlis sessions of the day welcomed H.E Abdullah Lootah, General Director of Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority and Vice Chair of the UAE's National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals. His talk ‘The role of youth in reaching the sustainable development goals’, focused on how the UAE has been one of 20 countries participating in drafting the sustainable development goals; showcasing the key role it plays both locally, and internationally.

 

He concluded by discussing how the UAE enjoys a giving culture, and how that wouldn’t have been possible without the safety and security the UAE is blessed with. He urged the youth to choose their paths and determine their goals, while contributing to the development of the UAE.

 

H.E Sarah bin Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, in her session titled ‘The role of science in the UAE future’, discussed the big role technology plays in our lives, linking between arts and science, focusing on how imagination is behind many of the inventions we enjoy today. Here, she also praised the vision of the UAE’s founding father for the impressive development of the UAE. “Everybody is impressed with the success stories of the UAE, it’s as if they are science fiction stories,” she said.

 

H.E Nasser Al Hamli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization, said during his lecture titled ‘I hear you better’, “The real challenge many countries are facing is creating job opportunities.” Adding, “In the UAE, opportunities are present for all. The regulations in the country allows for part-time jobs. The wise leadership encourages and supports the business of those who employ people of determination. And we urge youth to acquire experiences and learn to reach their goals that will help further raise the profile of the UAE internationally.”

 

The Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis 2018 edition has witnessed more than 200 interactive sessions, under five main zones: Science and Technology; Business and Entrepreneurship; Leadership and Development; Media, Culture and Arts; and Sport and Wellness. All this was in addition to the presence of more than 50 partners, who enriched the 2019 edition of the Majlis, including Expo 2020, Special Olympics World Games 2019, Mubadala, Masdar and others who had their leaders onsite talking to students and discussing various topics and experiences.