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28 March 2024

Expo 2020 Dubai offers young people role through YouthConnect 2016

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By Wam

A line up of inspiring speakers will lead over 1,000 young people to explore Expo 2020 Dubai, shape the plans for delivering the region’s first global mega event, and give them insights and ideas to excite youth as they prepare for their futures.
 
Registration is now open for young people from all over the GCC to take part in YouthConnect 2016, Expo 2020’s flagship youth engagement event which is taking place on 19th  November.
 
Expo 2020 Dubai organisers are asking young people from across the GCC to work with them as they prepare to host the region’s first global mega event. Registration opened today for the second edition of YouthConnect, which will take place on the 19th November 2016, at Meydan, Dubai. Expo plans to welcome more than 1,000 youth to the event.
 
Talking about the Expo 2020’s Think Tank sessions at YouthConnect, Manal AlBayat, Expo 2020’s VP of Engagement, said "This is an invaluable chance for youth to make their mark on this mega event. We want young people to play an active part in Expo 2020. It’s not just about being visitors. It’s about being volunteers, welcoming the world. It’s about helping us to design a mascot. It’s about the events we put on to entertain 25 million visitors. We want young people to be a part of it, and because of that, we want to listen to them, engage with them, learn from them and involve them right the way through to 2020."
 
YouthConnect will bring together inspirational speakers, including Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State and Director General Bureau Expo 2020 Dubai, Dr. Aisha bin Bishr, Director General Smart Dubai Office, Dr. Joe Paradiso, Director, Responsive Environments Group at the MIT Media Lab in the USA, Jihad Kawas, 19 year old Founder and CEO of Saily Inc. and Abdulaziz Al Loughani, Co-founder of Talabat and Vice Chairman of the Kuwait National Fund for SME Development and others to be announced in due course, with young people from across the region.

Through a series of inspiring conversations, interactive workshops and hands-on experiences, young people will explore subjects connected with Expo 2020 Dubai’s theme, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, and the areas of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.
 
AlBayat explained the vital role that young people play in Expo 2020 Dubai’s thinking. "Youth are the future of the region and of a fast-changing world. They are creative, talented and ambitious, and we are here to help them unleash their potential, develop new skills, create opportunities and build lasting relationships that can support and guide them on their journey to success."
 
YouthConnect will also provide a range of opportunities for young people to explore different career paths. These include YouthConnect TV (YCTV) – a hands-on masterclass with Ali Jaber and MBC mentors, looking at the filming, interviewing, presenting and editing of TV programmes.

NYU Abu Dhabi will also be returning to YouthConnect as a contributor, with a hands-on workshop that will allow young people to build simple electronic devices using recycled components from old and broken equipment.
 
YouthConnect attendees will be able to take advantage of a free shuttle bus to the Meydan venue, leaving from a central location in Dubai.

Expo 2020 will be announcing further speakers and workshop session over the coming weeks.
 
In addition to YouthConnect, Expo 2020 Dubai runs a number of programmes and initiatives that aim to inspire young people and encourage them to explore the opportunities available to them. Expo 2020 Dubai’s youth engagement efforts aim to provide the young generation in the region with tangible skills that will enable them to take a leading role in the journey to 2020 and beyond.