Be confident, disciplined: UAE minister urges Emirati youth

Abu Dhabi - Addressing a large gathering at the Young Adipec Forum, the minister asked young Emiratis to be courageous.

The UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan on Thursday urged the youth to tackle challenges in life with confidence and discipline.
Addressing a large gathering at the Young Adipec Forum, the minister asked young Emiratis to be courageous. "You need to understand how to deal with challenges. You need to do things with utmost discipline and be self-accountable. And soon you will get great results," Shaikh Nahyan said during the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference.
In the UAE, many leaders have set great examples in leadership, creativity and innovation, he said.
The minister then narrated an anecdote involving the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and a physician. He took a bottle and poured water into a glass.
"Once a foreign physician gave water to Shaikh Zayed who asked where the cap of the bottle was. The physician said he had thrown it away. Shaikh Zayed replied that the cap was not a waste and that each resource needed to be maintained. Even a bottle is resourceful," the minister said sharing the thoughts of a visionary leader.
Shaikh Nahyan said the youngsters must be innovative in whatever they do.
"I am confident about the future. The Emirati youth can maintain the national identity. The Emirati youth has limitless aspirations. One needs to be innovative and productive."
Shaikh Nahyan added that Emirati youth can become a main pillar to achieve the objectives set by the UAE.
'Work now to enjoy later'
Treat eight hours of school as a preparation for longer working hours at their jobs in future, said Ali Rashid Al Noaimi, director-general of the Abu Dhabi Education Council.
Addressing young Emiratis at the Young Adipec Forum, Noaimi said youth is the main investment for the nation. "What you are doing now will contribute for the next 20-30 years," he told the gathering.
"Those who have proven themselves in the world of science are not smarter than you. "If you work hard today, you will have a better future. But if you choose to rest today then you will suffer later. We are changing the paradigm to build your future," he added.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com 

• UAE