Abu Dhabi: The UAE on Sunday launched a nationwide ‘Youth Development and Wellbeing Index Survey’to provide a baseline of national data on the state of youth wellbeing and factors impacting and affecting youth development.
Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, who is also Chairman of Emirates Foundation, launched the survey through an introductory video highlighting the importance of having such an index to help the country design smarter policies and investments to improve opportunities for young people.
With the survey being the first comprehensive attempt to assess various aspects of youth development and wellbeing in the UAE, the minister called upon families and youth across all seven Emirates to contribute to making the initiative a success with their wholehearted participation.
Emirates Foundation is championing the Youth Development and Wellbeing Index Survey, in partnership with, the Emirates Youth Council, Dubai Economy and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority. The Index is designed to provide a baseline of national data on the state of youth wellbeing and factors impacting and affecting youth development. Aligned with the National Strategy for Youth Development, it will also help bring youth issues to the forefront of leaders’ and stakeholders’ agendas and will guide the development of policies and strategies that advance youth wellbeing in the country.
The Youth Index is in line with the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, that “the next generation is a vital driving force for progress” and in line with the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that “our formula for change is development that is based on a system of values upheld by the youth to foresee the future and seek to achieve happiness for all.”
The Index initiative was launched on Sunday at a press conference at St. Regis Hotel, Abu Dhabi Corniche, in the presence of Shamma Suhail Faris Al Mazroui, minister of state for youth, chairwoman of the Emirates Youth Council, and board member of the Emirates Foundation, Abdullah Naser Lootah, director general of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, Maitha Al Habsi, deputy CEO of Emirates Foundation and Khuloud Al Nuwais, chief sustainability officer at Emirates Foundation.
Based on a composite index of 14 social, economic and political indicators benchmarked globally, the UAE Youth Development and Wellbeing Index, the first of its kind on a regional GCC and Middle East level, will measure youth needs across key areas including education, health, safety and security, values and traditions, consumption habits, employment, leisure, decision-making, and community engagement.
The Index field work is expected to be launched on April 2nd, covering a sample of 6,600 participants from across all emirates, and will be implemented by a team of representatives from statistics centres across various emirates including Abu Dhabi Statistic Centre, Dubai Statistics Centre, Fujairah Statistics Centre and Ras Al Khaimah Statistics Centre with the support of volunteers from Emirates Foundation’s Takatof Volunteering Programme, who have received special field work training from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority.
Commenting on the index, Al Mazroui said, “Launched by Shaikh Abdullah, the Youth Development and Wellbeing Index was designed to provide a sound platform to guide us on the right path towards youth development in line with the national youth strategy launched by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid. In this respect, we need the support of every youth and family in the UAE and I will be the first to take the survey as I recognise its importance towards realising our nation’s progress and sustainable development.”
She further elaborated: “The Emirates Youth Council will be promoting the survey and the field research amongst youth through the different youth councils across the country.”
