Doha: The Gulf Youth Forum for Preparing Youth Leaders in Humanitarian and Development Work wrapped up on Wednesday. Organized by the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the Forum was hosted in coordination with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretariat General and in cooperation with Qatar Charity. 25 youth participants from across the Gulf countries partook in the event, which aimed to enhance the youth's capabilities and skills to empower them to create a positive change in their societies and the region as a whole. The Forum featured field visits to carry out volunteer work, such as distributing food baskets to workers and several families, as well as participating in beach clean-up campaigns and tree planting. In this context, Director of the Programs and Community Development Department at Qatar Charity Abdulrahman Mohammad Al Hajri told Qatar News Agency that this collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Youth in launching the Forum reflects the State of Qatar's leading role in humanitarian and development work, noting at the same time Qatar Charity's continuous efforts in launching such initiatives. Al Hajri expressed a commitment to continuing and expanding this effort to foster leaders with a humanitarian and development mindset, in addition to enhancing the youth's sense of altruism. He added that the Forum's workshops encouraged the youth to create their own humanitarian and development initiatives. The Director of the Programs and Community Development Department at Qatar Charity said that there is diligent work being done together with the Ministry of Sports and Youth to cultivate Qatari and Gulf talents, with the hopes of producing world-class leaders in the field. For his part, Director of the Forum Nasser Al Jabri said that the event succeeded in familiarizing the youth with sustainable development goals, ways to launch social initiatives, and empower the youth in materializing their ideas and initiatives in digital and media marketing, as well as enhancing the exchange of experiences among member state delegations, and deepening the sense of social responsibility. Al Jabri said that the Forum aligned with the Ministry of Sports and Youth's strategy to empower the youth and develop their skills and capabilities, with the aim of creating a generation that is well-aware of issues surrounding it. He added that such forums provide Qatari youth the opportunity to learn from role-models from communities similar to Qatar. In turn, Director of Youth Affairs at the Ministry of Sports and Youth Fawaz Al Musaifiri highlighted the youth's role in achieving sustainable development, in line with the GCC's Joint Youth Action and in coordination with the GCC Secretariat General. Al Musaifiri underscored that this forum is the first of its kind in the GCC, and commended the effective partnership behind this event, noting the success of the Ministry of Sports and Youth in organzing its events. In remarks to Qatar News Agency , participants in the Gulf youth forum emphasized the importance of the activit ies and workshops in enhancing their skills development and presenting voluntary initiatives supporting sustainable development. Abdullah Rashid Al Khater, a member of the Qatari delegation, highlighted the forum's significant impact on raising youth awareness and education in humanitarian and development work. He praised the Ministry of Sports and Youth for organizing the event, which included workshops and seminars on relevant topics and practical field trips to implement the learned concepts. Head of the Saudi delegation Fahd bin Abdulrahman Al Qomaie stated that Saudi Arabia's presentation at the forum focused on supporting volunteer and humanitarian work, highlighting efforts to recruit one million volunteers in line with its 2030 vision. He expressed gratitude to Qatar for organizing the forum and hoped it would continue to benefit youth in the GCC states. Al Qomaie noted that the forum offered valuable workshops aimed at developing young people's capabilities and fostering innovative initiatives in development and volunteer work, enhanced by practical field visits and knowledge sharing among participants. Head of the Omani delegation Mohammed bin Ali Al Farsi highlighted that Oman's participation aimed to exchange experiences in volunteering and development, providing participants with skills to enhance leadership traits and self-confidence for scientific initiative development. Head of the Kuwaiti delegation Mai Al Hashash noted that her team of students showcased prominent volunteer initiatives from Kuwait, emphasizing the forum's role in enriching participants' experiences and learning to propose initiatives that support sustainable development. Head of the UAE delegation Ghada Al Zaabi said that the UAE presented various experiences to facilitate knowledge exchange through collaborative working groups, resulting in significant interaction among participants from the GCC. Source: Qatar News Agency