In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate 

Ladies and gentlemen —

Welcome to Doha. Thank you for joining us today.

Your presence, hand in hand with our youth, confirms that decision-makers, thinkers, politicians, economists, media professionals and experts in technology, finance and culture are our major partners in the Silatech initiative. 

People, uniting to work together, have the strength to overcome any circumstances.

The goal of this initiative requires us to be stronger than our circumstances, keeping in mind that the wellbeing of Arab youth and of the youth of the whole worldare a strategic goal. 

If we give them the chance, young people themselves can discover and develop the skills and ability we need now and in the future. 

I am pleased to see that the participants of this meeting represent different generations. Wisdom, foresight and experience therefore combine with boldness and ambition.

Ladies and gentlemen—

Perhaps some of you following this initiative are wondering about its significance and purpose. 

The idea that became Silatech arose from my conviction that it is not intellectual dialogue alone — despite its importance — that will reconcile civilizations to bring about a world of tranquility and peace. Rather, it is the development of pragmatic programs, providing solutions to the great problems currently facing humanity.

Over time, it has become clear to me that employing young people, and allowing them to develop bold and creative vision, will assist us to address the economic, social and psychological problems that can otherwise become a catalyst for undesirable consequences.

It is stark reality that the Arab region suffers from high unemployment rates, especially amongst the younger generation. The average unemployment rate is about 25 per cent. It is also estimated that nearly one hundred million young people will enter the labor force by 2020, requiring the creation of at least six million jobs annually.

How did our region come to this?

Our region has seen an increase in the number of university graduates; this is certainly a positive thing. However, there is another side to the issue: most educational institutions do not prepare their graduates in a way commensurate with the requirements of the current labor market — a market whose features have changed and whose components are linked to global standards imposed by current economic conditions. 

This has led to a gap between the traditional skills acquired from education and the requirements of the evolving labor market. This gap must be closed. 

In addition, the public sector can no longer provide more opportunities or engage additional groups of university graduates. So the private sector becomes responsible, as a strategic partner, for working to overcome the pressures of this problem.

Analysts often link the issue of unemployment to population growth. This may be understandable in aging societies. However, I cannot understand how this could be the case in societies where the largest percentage the population is young, and this group could contribute to prosperity. It could play its role as a recognized economic force in achieving sustainable development, keeping in mind models of society outside the Arab world that have bet on this trend, accomplishing economic achievements that analysts sometimes call miracles, especially in the world of technology. 

What can Silatech add?

Given its comprehensive, humanitarian nature, this initiative can transcend borders and be integrated with the national programs of each country, enabling it to provide real solutions to their individual needs.

Silatech derives its strength from inspiring the formation of international partnerships linking various experts, attracting investments, and providing creative technology to better prepare young people for the labor market. This requires all the different sectors to contribute to formulating our goals and proposing innovative ways to achieve them. 

I hope that Silatech will support young people in the Middle East, North Africa and the world, forming links with international leaders in business and drawing inspiration from them to bring about positive change.

Our approach is clear.  We call on our partners to identify what young people need to better integrate into the labor market. We encourage the strengthening of regional and international partnerships between the public and private sectors and civil society institutions.

The Silatech initiative will begin its first phase in Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, and Syria, and will later extend to the rest of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

Through concerted efforts, we will demonstrate our confidence in youth as an engine of development and an agent of change. We will achieve the Silatech philosophy by linking available resources with desired results. Above all, we will prepare a generation of leaders to be relied upon now and in the future. 

Thank you for your interest.