The Ministry of Sports and Youth, in co-operation with the General Secretariat of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), has launched “The Art of Debate and Argument Building” training programme for GCC youth. The programme will run until Oct 24 in Doha.Held in partnership with the Qatar Foundation’s QatarDebate Center, the programme, aims to develop the skills of GCC youth in the art of debate, enhance their critical thinking and logical analysis capabilities, and to encourage constructive dialogue and persuasion skills.The programme also seeks to empower participants with the foundations and skills of debate, develop public speaking and discussion management skills, and promote shared values and cultural understanding among GCC youth.The QatarDebate Center provides training to youth participating in the programme through certified trainers.The programme features specialised training workshops and practical experiences through mini-debate simulations, in addition to cultural activities and field visits to prominent landmarks in Qatar, with the aim of enhancing communication and building professional networks among participating Gulf youth.It targets youth from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, aged 18 to 29, with a total of 36 young men and women participating, five participants from each country, in addition to 11 participants from the host country, Qatar.In this context, Director of the Youth Affairs Department at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Fawaz Abdullah al-Musaifari said in a remarks that the Ministry of Sports and Youth places great importance on supporting joint Gulf youth work, believing in the importance of strengthening cohesion and integration among youth from the GCC countries, and continuously striving to provide a supportive environment to empower Gulf youth and to enhance their capabilities.He explained that this programme represents a practical model of this approach, as it is keen to provide participants with the knowledge and skills that qualify them for leadership and effective contribution to their communities, thus enhancing the position of Gulf youth in the comprehensive development process.Regarding QatarDebate’s participation in the programme, Turki al-Suwaidi, programme specialist at QatarDebate, expressed pride in partnering with the Ministry of Sports and Youth to implement this programme, which aims to empower Gulf youth with the tools of constructive dialogue and the art of persuasion. He noted that QatarDebate believes in the importance of equipping youth with skills that enhance critical thinking and effective communication, and is committed, through this collaboration, to transferring debate training expertise and experience to a new generation of ambitious youth in the GCC countries. Programme Director, Nasser Mohammed al-Jabri emphasised the team’s full readiness to ensure the success of this programme, as all necessary preparations have been made to ensure a rich and distinguished training experience for all participants.Organising this programme reflects the Ministry of Sports and Youth’s commitment to promoting a culture of constructive dialogue and mutual understanding among the youth of the region, and to offering quality programmes that align with global best practices in building the capacity of youth and empowering them to become future leaders in their communities.