Abu Dhabi: Helping young Emiratis achieve their full academic and professional potential was the central focus of the fifth annual Mubadala Youth Forum on Wednesday.

Under the theme ‘From College to Career’, the forum showcased a number of interactive panels driven towards guiding Emirati youth between the ages of 17-25 through a road map to their future careers,

With a vision to also push young Emiratis’ boundaries and encourage them to continue generating greater good for their community, the forum also revealed the four winners of the Mubadala Youth Award.

Adeeb Al Beloushi, the youngest 11-year old Emirati inventor for his contributions to the field of health care, and his sister, Dana Al Beloushi, a nine-year old who holds a number of certificates from Nasa, were the awards’ youngest winners.

In addition, a 23-year-old mother of two, Aisha Al Braiki, who actively volunteered for different entities such as Qasr Al Hosn Festival and the Federal National Council’s elections, and Saeed Al Nathari, the 23-year old first Global Ambassador of Arab origin by the Global Innovation Management Institute (GIM Institute), were the other two winners.

Expressing feelings of pride and honour, the 23-year old Aisha told Gulf News: “I would like to thank Mubadala and all the organisers for implementing initiatives such as this. Having forums that guide youth through their future endeavours is really beneficial, especially if you’re about to embark on your own career.”

“Also, sometimes you need to feel appreciated and recognised for working hard towards a certain goal, which is why I am very grateful to have awards such as the Mubadala Youth Award, as it truly inspires stronger youth participation,” she added.

Nadine Saleh Hassan, Head of Integrated Marketing and Outreach at Mubadala, told Gulf News: “Congratulations once again to the Mubadala Youth Award winners. Their contributions to society and their achievements are extremely impressive, and I hope that this award not only inspires our youth to have a positive impact on our community, but also encourages parents to foster the importance of volunteering and innovation in their children. After all, it is with their support that our youth can have a greater impact on our society.”

Maisoon Mubarak is a trainee at Gulf News.