Amir youth honoring to involve them in development: Advisor

KUWAIT: The National Youth Project 'Kuwait is Proud' concluded at a ceremony under patronage and with attendance of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace's Liberation Hall yesterday. His Highness the Amir was welcomed and greeted by Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri and Amiri Diwan Advisor Dr Yousef Hamad Al-Ibrahim. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Acting Speaker of the National Assembly Essa Al-Kandari and senior state officials attended the ceremony.

The ceremony began with the National Anthem; Quran Recitation followed by a speech by His Highness the Amir, affirming that he commended the youth's efforts, and called on them to continue their approach in building the country. His Highness the Amir also took the chance to announce the 'Kuwait center for national creativity,' an entity charged with supporting the youth creative outputs and transforming them into economic projects in line with Kuwait Vision 2035. During the ceremony, a film on 'Kuwait Listens' was screened, as His Highness the Amir was handed the 'national youth policy document,' followed by prizes' distribution by His Highness the Amir to 2019 Kuwait Youth Excellence and Creativity Award winners.

Youth involvement
His Highness the Amir's patronage and honoring to winners of 2019 Youth Excellence and Creativity Award stresses his care to involve youth in the development process to achieve Kuwait future vision, Amiri Diwan Advisor Dr Yousef Al-Ebrahim said. Efforts witnessed today came upon directives of His Highness the Amir to launch the National Youth Project, supervised by the Amiri Diwan, between 2012-2013 under the slogan 'Kuwait Listens,' Ebrahim said. 'Kuwait Listens' concluded with the National Youth Conference, held on March 13, 2013, where youth recommendations were presented to His Highness the Amir in ten areas, promoting citizenship, education, small projects, housing, health, legal and administrative development, human development, sports and environment, culture, arts and literature, he added.

About 80 percent of these recommendations have been implemented, most importantly the establishment of Youth Ministry and Kuwait National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development, he said. Since the launching of the National Youth Project 'Kuwait is Proud' last January, many activities and initiatives were held, the most importantly was His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah's meeting with people with initiatives that contribute in achieving Kuwait Vision 2035, he said. A gold coin by Central Bank to commemorate the occasion were given to all the attendees, where ten winners of Youth Excellence and Creativity Award 2019 where honored by His Highness the Amir in addition to handing His Highness the national youth policy document, he said.

Youth achievements
Director General of the General Authority for Youth Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi said meanwhile that honoring youth under the patronage and with attendance of His Highness the Amir stressed Kuwait's interest in youth to achieve the Kuwait 2035 vision. He added that the 'Kuwait is Proud' has become a platform to highlight youth achievements and unifying the state efforts. This project provides spaces and opportunities for youth to show creativity, and it is a starting point for them to show their potentials, he added. The Authority and the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs are keen to establish programs, forums and activities that support youth and to cooperate with the other institutions sponsoring youth to achieve the sustainable development of this important group, he said.

Great pride
The honoring of His Highness the Amir is an honor and a great motivation for Kuwaiti youth for more creativity in various fields, said the winners of Youth Excellence and Creativity Award 2019 fourth edition, on the sideline of the closing ceremony. The winner of health promotion award, Abdulrahman Al-Qashaan, said the honoring by His Highness the Amir is a pride for Kuwaiti youth, especially at the beginning of their "scientific and practical journey." Qashaan said that he presented cardiopulmonary resuscitation project, as he and his volunteer team had trained 4,600 citizens from different age groups within one month on this skill, pointing out that it was the biggest campaign in the Middle East and Africa in collaboration with the American Heart Association.

Meanwhile, winner in science and technology Salman Al-Otaibi said he received this award "as a group of Kuwaiti students studying at the United States, for their graduation project, which is a device that helps travelers to wash their clothes." The machine which they submitted as a team is now in the process of obtaining a patent, where a Kuwaiti company will be launched to release the project in global markets, Otaibi added. He expressed thanks and appreciation to His Highness the Amir and Ministry of Youth for adopting youth energies, which is a great motivation for Kuwaiti youth in various scientific and practical fields.

In the meantime, the winner in culture, arts and literature Dalal Mustafa Nasrallah, translator in English and Italian, said she won this award after presenting a book she has translated into Arabic, as she also has five translated books and working on translating two others. Winner in education field, Noor Saad Al-Humaidi said this is a great celebration of His Highness the Amir to youth, as she praised his unlimited support to the youth through these initiatives and awards.

Also, winner for voluntary work as a group Zainab Qarashi said her team (Engineers without Borders) won the first place in initiative to implement sustainable human engineering project, concerned in human development inside and outside Kuwait. The winner for Islamic science, Nasser Al-Ajmi, said the patronage of His Highness the Amir through this important award is a step to build active generation. The winners expressed thanks and appreciation to His Highness the Amir for his patronage and unlimited care and support to Kuwaiti youth through the programs of the Ministry of State for Youth affairs and the General Authority for Youth, that show the youth creative abilities which serve Kuwait in several humanitarian fields. - KUNA