Qatar has underscored the importance of investing in young people, expanding employment opportunities and strengthening public-private partnerships to unlock youth potential and drive inclusive economic growth.
Addressing the World Investment Forum (WIF) 2026, HE Yasir bin Abdulla al-Jamal, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, highlighted the scale of the global youth employment challenge.
“ Today, 257mn young people worldwide are outside work, education and training. Youth unemployment in the Arab region stands at 26.2%. The Middle East and North Africa is home to over 140mn people aged under 30,” said al-Jamal.
He noted that young people have significant potential for economic development if they are given the right opportunities.
“These numbers are not due to a shortage of talent, but a shortage of opportunities. There is a need to invest in skills development, entrepreneurship and pathways into the labour market,” explained the official.
Al-Jamal said that the Ministry of Sports and Youth has introduced a range of programmes, youth centres and partnerships to prepare young people for employment and business creation.
“The initiatives focus on developing teamwork, responsibility and resilience, while equipping participants with practical experience and professional networks to help them enter the workforce or establish their own businesses,” he stated.
According to the official, several programmes support high school graduates as they transition to university life and help young people choose suitable academic majors. Another programme provides work-placement opportunities through partnerships with relevant stakeholders.
“More than 1,500 young people benefited from these programmes over the past year, helping strengthen the transition between education and industry,” he highlighted.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, the newly established Youth Small Business Centre provides access to investors, universities, business support services, and public- and private-sector partners.
“For young people wanting to get into business, our newly established Youth Small Business Centre provides access to an ecosystem of investors, business supports, universities, as well as the public and private sector. It has benefited more than 13,000 participants in the last two years, through over 200 training sessions and workshops,” he pointed out.
The official stressed that progress in youth empowerment depends on collaboration among government institutions, businesses, educational organisations and international partners.
He elaborated: “The most effective partnerships involve young people and industry stakeholders as co-designers of initiatives, ensuring that programmes respond both to youth aspirations and to the actual needs of employers and the wider economy. More than 150 entities are part of the country’s small and medium-sized enterprise ecosystem, providing a broad network of support for young people seeking to establish businesses.”
Al-Jamal highlighted international cooperation as another important avenue for expanding opportunities. He noted: “Qatar’s leading strategic partnerships also include, for example, Qatar initiative, Silatech’s partnership with Unicef Generation Unlimited Programme. Silatech has helped deliver 5mn employment opportunities for Arab youth. Other international reference points include UNICTAR programme, which has trained more than 550 individuals in over 40 countries.”
Concluding the address, al-Jamal called for a shift in how young people are viewed, arguing that they should be recognised not only as future employees but also as active contributors to economic and social development.
“Providing young people with the necessary skills, confidence, networks and resources can help them secure jobs, establish businesses, create employment for others and contribute to their communities,” he underlined.
“Aligning education, industry and enterprise support around these shared goals is essential to transforming youth potential into sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Talent is everywhere, but ability is not. Partnerships are crucial to distributing opportunities more fairly and ensuring that young people can play a meaningful role in shaping the future,” added al-Jamal.
