The Middle East Youth Summit in Saudi Arabia (MEYS) is a four-day event that gathers young leaders from across the Arab world to discuss pressing youth issues. Held in Saudi Arabia, the summit is organized by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and backed by the United Arab Emirates.
Previous summits recorded over 1,500 participants from over 35 countries and they focused on topics such as entrepreneurship, job creation, social media and digital citizenship, and energy security. The event also featured keynote speeches from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
According to WEF, MEYS is an important opportunity for young Arabs to “come together to identify common challenges and find innovative solutions.” He added that “the region faces many large-scale issues – including fast-growing populations and unmet basic needs – but there are also great opportunities for progress if these youngsters can unite around shared values.
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What is The Agenda of The Middle East Youth Summit in Saudi Arabia 2024?
The Middle East Youth Summit In Saudi Arabia (MYS) is an annual event held by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in association with the Royal Foundation for Development and Relief. The summit was first convened in 2013 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and has since been held each year in a different country across the region.
This year’s summit will be held from February 28 to March 3rd, 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The agenda of the summit includes debates on youth issues such as employment opportunities and entrepreneurship, social media and extremism, government policies affecting young people, and more.
Speakers at the Middle East Youth Summit 2024 will include H.E. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al-Mulki, Crown Prince of Dubai; Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed al-Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE; H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates; Dr Salma Khalfan Ghobashy, Minister of State for Human Resources Development; Muhammad al-Issa.
How to Participate in the Middle East Youth Summit 2024
The Middle East Youth Summit in Saudi Arabia is open to all nationals of all academic backgrounds. To be eligible to participate in the summit, candidates must be between the ages of 15 and 35 and have been actively involved in grassroots activism or public service in their home country or region. Some other requirements applicants have to meet include:
- Being a Muslim
- Having a clean criminal record
- Having no affiliations with any extremist organization
Registration Process for the Middle East Youth Summit
To register for the summit, interested participants must first create a personalized user profile on the summit’s website. Next, they need to complete a registration form which will ask for details such as their name, organization, country of origin, and contact information.
Once all of the necessary information has been inputted into the form, participants will be asked to pay a deposit which will cover costs associated with the event such as accommodation and food. Finally, attendees are required to agree to terms and conditions which include rules regarding behaviour at the summit and guidelines for media coverage.
Once everything has been completed, participants will receive an email notifying them that their registration has been accepted. They can then begin preparing for their trip by filling out any additional travel forms which may be required such as visa applications. The final step before arriving in Riyadh is registering with the police department which will require proof of identity and travel documents.
How to Obtain a Visa for The Middle East Youth Summit
If you are interested in attending the Middle East Youth Summit, there are a few ways to obtain a visa. You can either apply for a visa through your country’s embassy or consulate in Riyadh, or you can apply for a visa at the Saudi Arabian visa office located in Jeddah.
The application process is reasonably straightforward and generally takes around two weeks to be processed. Once you have received your visa, you will need to make sure that you have all of the appropriate documentation ready to bring with you when flying into Saudi Arabia.
In addition to obtaining a visa, it is also important to make sure that you have adequate travel insurance coverage in case of any unforeseen circumstances while in Saudi Arabia.
Finally, it is important to note that attendance at the summit constitutes full-time travel and cannot be used as justification for not meeting your residency requirements in your home country.
Conclusion
The Middle East Youth Summit (MEYS), is a biennial conference that brings together young people from across the Arab world to discuss issues impacting their lives. Held in Saudi Arabia MEYS provides an opportunity for youth to come together and share their thoughts and ideas.
Throughout the years, MEYS has played a crucial role in fostering intercultural dialogue and understanding. Furthermore, it has done well to promote collaboration between governments, civil society organizations, businesses, and academia. If you would like to be part of such a worthwhile endeavour, be sure to register for the upcoming Middle East Youth Summit 2024.