Under the fourth edition of Young Arab Pioneers, held over six days in the capital, the 40 participants represented 13 Arab countries and pitched projects across ten specialised tracks such as Industry & Innovation, Space & Technology, Media & Digital Citizenship, Sustainability, Education, and Health.
The Manarat Al Rowad package is designed to convert their ideas into viable ventures. It offers access to business consultations, fast-track licensing services, and networking channels with regional financial institutions. The initiative also features capacity-building workshops, field visits, and youth circles to foster peer learning and exposure to institutional structures.
During a youth circle event coordinated by the Arab Youth Centre and the Youth Business Council, participants engaged directly with officials and strategists, discussing challenges such as access to funding, regulatory hurdles, and scaling mechanisms. Mansour Al Sayegh, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Youth Business Council, emphasised that the council would emphasise “expanding access to finance, developing practical expertise, and creating regulatory frameworks that foster innovation.”
The Youth Business Council, launched in 2024 as an affiliate of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, has seen a surge in membership and impact. Its youth-member base climbed by 97.8 percent between 2023 and 2024, reaching over 21,240 young entrepreneurs, with a combined capital of AED 14.9 billion. Membership is almost evenly split between Emiratis and non-Emiratis. Sectoral breakdown shows that 40 percent of youth-led enterprises are in wholesale and retail trade, followed by construction, administrative services, and hospitality.
Analysts note that Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as a regional hub for youth entrepreneurship, leveraging strategic investments in innovation ecosystems such as Hub71 and AI-centred initiatives. The Manarat Al Rowad package adds a targeted institutional support layer to that effort, aiming to increase the survival rate of youth startups by addressing common pitfalls like licensing delays, weak business models, and limited capital access.
Participants praised the format of the programme itself. One young innovator from the Space & Technology track said the structured blend of pitching sessions, mentoring, and institutional exposure gave her project credibility and direction. Others called for continued mentorship beyond the year and public platforms to showcase outcomes across the Arab world.
Visits to institutions like G42 and the Athar+ Centre were part of the package’s experiential learning component. At Athar+, participants observed incubator models that support social enterprises and non-profit ventures in the UAE. At G42, they were briefed on advanced technology deployments in AI, analytics, and data platforms to inspire their own designs.
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