Al Jamal for his part congratulated the winners and affirmed that the accomplishments they have made reflect the true breakthrough the Gulf youth have made in leveraging data and cutting-edge technologies for the service of their societies and buttressing their effective contributions to building the knowledge-based economy, as well as innovative solutions for development challenges.

The staging of this ceremony to coincide with this day demonstrates the great importance MSY prioritizes in investing in the Gulf minds, which are the true wealth of their nations, Al Jamal underscored.

He noted that this move comes as a practical translation of the Action Plan of the Committee of Their Highnesses, Excellencies, Ministers of Youth and Sports in the GCC States (2024-2030), which aims to reinforce the engagement of young people in outstanding programs and elevate the quality of knowledge and innovation outputs with sustainable development impact.

Director-General of the National Statistics Center at the National Planning Council, Ahmed Hassan Al Obaidly, said the award serves as an important Gulf platform for investing in youth capabilities and directing them toward future fields. He added that data has become one of the core pillars of planning, policymaking, and decision-making.

Al Obaidly described the initiative as a consolidated institutional effort operating within an interoperable framework, aimed at raising knowledge and innovative outputs with sustainable developmental impact, while reinforcing key areas of strength in statistical and data systems.

HE Director General of GCC-Stat, Intisar bint Abdullah Al Wuhaibiyah, said she was glad with the success of the award’s first edition, labeling it one of the region’s foremost initiatives in engaging young people in statistics, data, and AI.

She recalled that GCC-Stat has always been committed to backing initiatives that help spread awareness of the criticality of data and statistics and promoting the innovation culture.

Investing in young aptitudes represents a core pillar to build a sophisticated statistical system that supports development and decision-making process in the GCC nations, a system that keeps up with the rapid evolution the world is going through in terms of digital transformation and AI.

Director of the Social and Environmental Statistics Department at Qatar's National Planning Council, Ibrahim Hamad Al Mohannadi, told Qatar News Agency (QNA) the significance of this award lies in the fact that it is a platform for young people to showcase smart and innovative solutions when using information and data that are relevant to their community's issues.

He affirmed that AI is the language of the era, emphasizing that data are not merely digits but rather tools for analysis to take decisions and envision the future to be further utilized in sustainable development.

Assistant Research Professor at the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University and member of the judging committee of the Youth Creativity in the World of Data Award, Dr. Ali Al Kubaisi, talking to QNA, said that the first edition of this award delivered impressive results, reflecting what the best of Gulf youth have been able to achieve as they sought to harness AI and open data across multiple fields.

Al Kubaisi highlighted that the common thread among participants was how AI can be used in a proper and scrupulously structured manner. These young participants, he said, succeeded in developing practical solutions that support public policy and advance sustainable development across the GCC nations.

It is worth noting that the award aims to support Gulf integration in the fields of data, information, and AI, encourage young people to develop innovative solutions and products, highlight successful youth models, and strengthen awareness of the importance of data and statistics in supporting development and public policymaking. (QNA)