Doha, December 24 (QNA) - The Ministry of Sports and Youth announced that application is now open to Gulf youth aged 18 to 34 for the 1st Youth Creativity in Data Award.

Marking the Gulf Statistics Day, the award is organized in cooperation of and coordination with the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat) and the National Statistics Center, in the framework of supporting digital and knowledge transformation in GCC countries.

It also aims to strengthen the role of Gulf youth in employing data and artificial intelligence in the service of sustainable development and improving quality of life in Gulf societies.

In this context, HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Eng. Yasser bin Abdullah Al Jamal said that the launch of the award aligns with the strategic directions of the work plan of the Committee of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Youth and Sports in the GCC (2024–2030), particularly with regard to empowering the youth, building their future capabilities, and enhancing their active participation in joint Gulf initiatives.

His Excellency pointed out that the award represents a practical model for achieving several of the plan's objectives by discovering and nurturing young Gulf talents in this important field and stimulating data-driven innovation.

For his part, head of the Human and Environmental Affairs Sector at the GCC General Secretariat Dr. Mohammed bin Falah Al Rashidi said that the award embodies an advanced Gulf-oriented approach to linking youth creativity with data-driven policymaking, and to enhancing the use of artificial intelligence in supporting youth issues in the framework of sustainable development.

Al Rashidi noted that the award contributes to consolidating a culture of knowledge-based decision-making and serves as a Gulf platform for preparing young leaders capable of transforming data into tools for developmental impact, reflecting the GCC General Secretariat's role in supporting high-quality initiatives with strategic dimensions and sustainable impact.

Director General of GCC-Stat Intisar Al Wahaibi expressed GCC-Stat's happiness to be part of this pioneering initiative, which aims to empower Gulf youth and enhance their role in digital transformation and data-driven innovation.

Al Wahaibi said that the award is an important step toward achieving the strategic objectives that GCC countries seek in developing youth competencies, adding that GCC-Stat is committed to supporting this award by providing GCC experts and jurist, in addition to the data and knowledge needed by participants, along with all necessary support to ensure achieving sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life in Gulf societies.

In turn, Director-General of the National Statistics Center at the National Planning Council Ahmed Hassan Al Obaidly stated that the center's participation in the award comes as part of its role in developing the official statistics system and in implementing the objectives of the National Statistics and Data Strategy, which is achieved by empowering the youth to employ data and AI to come up with solutions that support digital transformation, enhance the quality of national indicators, and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in GCC countries.

The Youth Creativity in Data Award is a practical translation of the work plan of the Committee of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Youth and Sports in the GCC (2024–2030), through developing joint Gulf youth initiatives, strengthening youth participation in high-quality programs, and raising the quality of knowledge-based and innovative outputs with developmental impact.

The award also contributes to supporting the plan's approved indicators by expanding the base of Gulf youth participation, introducing data- and innovation-based initiatives, and strengthening partnerships with government entities and statistical institutions, reflecting the GCC countries' commitment to training a generation of youth capable of contributing to decision-making and achieving sustainable development.

The Ministry of Sports and Youth invited interested youth to review the terms and conditions for applying and to register via the ministry's website through the award's dedicated page. (QNA)