The Ministry of Sports and Youth in the State of Qatar has announced the opening of applications for youth from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, aged 18–34, to participate in the first edition of the “Youth Creativity in the World of Data Award.” This announcement coincides with the celebration of Gulf Statistics Day and comes in cooperation and coordination with the GCC Statistical Center and the National Statistics Center, within the framework of supporting digital and knowledge transformation pathways in GCC countries, and enhancing the role of Gulf youth in leveraging data and artificial intelligence to serve sustainable development and improve quality of life in Gulf societies.
The Youth Creativity in the World of Data Award represents a practical translation of the Action Plan of Their Highnesses, Excellencies, and Honors the Ministers of Youth and Sports of the GCC States (2024–2030), through developing joint Gulf youth initiatives, enhancing youth participation in specialized programs, and raising the quality of knowledge-based and innovative outputs with developmental impact.
The award also contributes to supporting the plan’s indicators by expanding the base of Gulf youth participation, introducing initiatives based on data and innovation, and strengthening partnerships with government entities and statistical institutions, reflecting the GCC states’ commitment to preparing a generation of youth capable of contributing to decision-making and achieving sustainable development.
In this context, His Excellency Engineer Yasser bin Abdullah Al-Jamal, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, affirmed that the launch of the Youth Creativity in the World of Data Award aligns with the strategic directions of the Action Plan of the GCC Ministers of Sports and Youth (2024–2030), particularly in empowering youth, building their future capabilities, and enhancing their effective participation in joint Gulf initiatives. He explained that the award represents an applied model for achieving several objectives of the plan by discovering and nurturing Gulf youth talents in this important field and stimulating data-driven innovation.
In the same context, His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Falah Al-Rashidi, Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Environmental Affairs at the GCC General Secretariat, emphasized that the Youth Creativity in the World of Data Award embodies an advanced Gulf approach to linking youth creativity with data-driven policymaking and enhancing the use of artificial intelligence in supporting youth issues within the framework of sustainable development.
He noted that the award contributes to consolidating a culture of knowledge-based decision-making and serves as a Gulf platform for preparing youth leaders capable of transforming data into tools of developmental impact, reflecting the General Secretariat’s role in supporting high-impact, strategically oriented initiatives.
Her Excellency Intisar Al-Wuhaibi, Director of the GCC Statistical Center, stated: “We are pleased at the GCC Statistical Center to be part of this pioneering initiative, which aims to empower Gulf youth and enhance their role in digital transformation and data-driven innovation. The Youth Creativity in the World of Data Award is an important step toward achieving the strategic goals that GCC countries seek in developing youth competencies. At the GCC Statistical Center, we are committed to supporting this award by providing experts, judges from Gulf competencies, data, and the necessary knowledge for participants, along with all required support to ensure sustainable development and improve quality of life in Gulf societies.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Ahmed Al-Obaidli, Director of the National Statistics Center in the State of Qatar, stated that the center’s participation in the Youth Creativity in the World of Data Award comes within the framework of its role in developing the official statistical system and implementing the objectives of the National Statistics and Data Strategy, by empowering youth to leverage data and artificial intelligence to innovate solutions that support digital transformation, enhance the quality of national indicators, and contribute to achieving sustainable development goals in GCC countries.
The Ministry has invited interested youth to review the terms and application criteria and register to participate via the Ministry of Sports and Youth’s official website, through the dedicated award page:
Youth Creativity in the World of Data Award.
