Doha, November 25 (QNA) - HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, announced on Tuesday the foundation's Silatech program has achieved its target of providing five million employment opportunities.
Speaking at a high-level session during the WISE 2025 summit at the Qatar National Convention Centre, Her Highness said the program had surpassed its contractual commitment, adding that the milestone was made possible by the dedication of partners and the resilience of communities served by the initiative.
Silatech was launched in 2008 to address what HH Sheikha Moza described as an urgent need for large-scale job creation in the Arab world. Her Highness highlighted a 2007 World Bank Human Development Report indicating that the region would require around 100 million new jobs by 2020 - a finding she said shaped her conviction in the importance of investing in youth.
She noted that young people aged 15 to 29 constitute almost a third of the Arab world's population - its developmental energy - yet are often perceived as an economic burden. Despite facing significant challenges, the foundation has built effective partnerships with NGOs in unstable regions to expand opportunities for young people.
HH Sheikha Moza urged continued efforts to reduce unemployment, saying: "We should not stop at the figure of five million. I call for collective action that will allow us to reduce unemployment in a way that matches the scale of the challenge. This is the essence of real investment in youth and in the future."
The session also explored how education can drive sustainable development and reduce inequality, with insights from Their Excellencies Latifa Al Droubi, First Lady of Syria; Nehmat Aoun, First Lady of Lebanon; and Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady of Nigeria.
HE Al Droubi said education was central to her country's reconstruction efforts, praising Sheikha Moza's support for learning and human development. Despite conflict and widespread damage - including more than 2.5 million children out of school and roughly 8,000 schools damaged or destroyed - she said Syria remained committed to repairing facilities, expanding distance learning, and drawing on international expertise to rebuild human capital.
HE Nehmat Aoun highlighted her country's School of Citizenship project, designed to instill civic values in public and private schools in partnership with ministries, universities and UNESCO. She said the initiative strengthens students' practical and social skills - such as teamwork, responsibility, and leadership - which she described as essential life skills for entering the workforce. Civic education, she added, should underpin a modern, green and innovation-driven economy.
Meanwhile, HE Oluremi Tinubu noted that young people make up more than 60% of Nigeria's population of over 250 million, playing key roles in sectors such as education, fashion, film and agriculture. She outlined government efforts to expand digital innovation and technological education, including a national target for 70% digital empowerment by 2027 under the country's IT development agency.
She also highlighted the Renewed Hope initiative, which has supported young people and low-income women - especially young mothers - in using technology to advance their small businesses. Human beings must remain the leaders of technology, not its followers, she said, emphasizing the need to preserve human values in the digital age. (QNA)