Business & Money | Wednesday 4 January, 2017 2:40 pm |

Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman met Tuesday with the members of the Madinah Youth Committee headed by Director of Education Nasser Al-Abdulkarim and said the youth play an important role in building the future of a country due to their tremendous capabilities and positive energy, which should be utilized to serve the nation and religion.
The governor said that it is important to grant young men and women opportunities and get them involved in efforts to achieve sustainable development, as well as to enhance their social participation.
Prince Faisal said it is important to discover the talents and capabilities of young people and to hold workshops for them to make use of their potential.
The governor said the youth constitute a majority in the Kingdom, where 70 percent of the population is under the age of 18.
This a major source of strength for the Saudi economy, which has a large human resource pool. It should take advantage of the capacity of youth to innovate. The country enjoys a growing consumer market and, as a result, should witness economic growth and expansion.
The governor said the work of the committee comes in light of a framework that contributes to realizing the strategy for building social awareness among youth and enhancing citizenship, responsibility, Islamic values and skills to accommodate changes.
The governor inaugurated the electronic website of the committee, which was set up to collect data and provide templates for initiative applications and committee membership. He also received his membership card from the committee.
Al-Abdulkarim said that on directives from the governor, the committee held a workshop on deriving benefits from the services and the guidance of government, private and civil society sectors to activate youth programs and initiatives.
The committee updated the website to include activities and events targeting the youth, with the participation of 27 bodies.
An electronic database was created for youth programs focused on employment, volunteer work, sports and recreation, training and education and funding and a guide containing all activities and programs targeting youth was issued, he said.
He said a meeting was held with 50 youth, nominated by a number of organizations, to create youth teams within the committee.
The workshop also brought together 250 young people in Madinah, focusing on setting priorities of some programs and activities for the Hijri year 1438, and taking stock of obstacles and challenges.
Moreover, a series of other workshops involved 60 youth, working to boost their skills in the fields of building operational plans and performance management. Forty others participated in a workshop on the rehabilitation of youth committees throughout the Kingdom, carried out by the King Salman Youth Center in cooperation with the Madinah Development Commission, said Al-Abdulkarim.
He highlighted the many youth-led initiatives in which young people seek agreements and partnerships with the public and private sector in order to receive support for their initiatives and activities that focus on integrating the youth into society.