SHARJAH, (Pakistan Point News - 23rd Feb, 2020) H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, affirmed that the ‘Sheikh Sultan Award for Celebrating the Spirit of Youth’ is designed to cover key areas that enable the shaping of strong communities, and that it highlights the role youth plays in community building and sustainable development.
Speaking at the second edition’s awarding ceremony held yesterday (February 22) at the Al Badai’a Palace in Sharjah, which honoured 45 successful youth, His Highness, added, "The award is a continuation of Sharjah’s longstanding efforts to instill good values in the youth, as they are part of the family unit, which is the cornerstone of our community. In times to come, they will take the lead in championing fundamental values, and preserving what our society, nation, and environment have gained from human contributions."
Sheikh Dr Sultan Al Qasimi pointed out that the youth can make contributions to several fields by volunteering and taking lead. His Highness also noted that the Arab youth can ensure the continued growth of the Arabic language by not just being recognised by the award’s ‘skills’ category in Arabic poetry or public speaking, but by leading knowledge and expertise transfer by formulating groups that will help advance learning in them and their peers.
The Sharjah Ruler highlighted that the UAE’s desert environment needs bigger contributions of the youth to preserve it, pointing out that Sharjah’s most prominent efforts in the field are reflected in the establishment of nature and wildlife protection reserves to reduce the adverse effects of overgrazing and overfishing, and save local varieties of plants and animals from becoming extinct.
His Highness asserted that all of Sharjah’s developmental efforts have the wellbeing community at heart, reflected in the myriad initiatives the emirate has in place to assist its members during their educational years, and continue as they take up employment and housing, which have enabled Sharjah to enjoy stable and safe community life.
Noting that efforts are underway to add new categories to community servicing awards, the Sharjah Ruler opined that the youth formulating and initiating studies that cover various aspects of community life is necessary, and that their involvement in documenting on-ground realities and offering innovative solutions to challenges that would positively impact their societies and contribute to nation building was a must.
His Highness ended the address with a congratulatory message to all winners of the award, and encouraged them to continue broadening their horizons in all the fields they excelled in under the tutelage of the Sheikh Sultan Award, saying those who have received this prestigious recognition also have a duty to mentor their peers. The Sharjah Ruler thanked all members of the award’s committee for their work.
One of the honoured youth, Ali Darwish Abdelrahman, delivered a speech on behalf of all who were recognised, saying, "Sharjah Children has embraced our individual talents and keenly developed our capabilities since we were young. Our journey continues as we become members of the Sharjah Youth Centre to learn new skills and further develop our talents. All this support helps us remain focused on our development and stay on the right path."
For her part, Ghaya Humaid Alqassimi shared the development journey of her talent and recounted what Sharjah provided her under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, and the directives of his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, SCFA. She vowed to continue her developmental journey to help Sharjah and the UAE continue to prosper.
Medals were granted to participants in the award’s four categories: Adventure, Volunteering, Skills and Hobbies, in the presence of the Sharjah Ruler. The Award offers participants three recognitions – gold, silver and bronze – based on their fulfillment of the award’s criteria.
The gold medal recipients of the second edition of the award are: Asma Ali Alqaydi, Aiya Hamad Alzaabi, Basma Khalil Alhooti, Hamad Sultan Alktebi, Rashed Saif Alteneiji, Rabab Youssef Ibrahim, Rayan Rashid Alqaydi, Saeed Mohammed Alameri, Saeed Sultan Alketbi, Shahd Mohamed Murad, Shoq Gholoom Jassem, Taif Abdelsalam Alnaqbi, Abdelrahman Mohamed Alfan Alshamsi, Ali Darwish Abdelrahman, Fatema Mohammed Alshehhi, Mansoor Abdulla Alhosani, Maha Omar Alsarkal, Narjes Youssef Ibrahim, Nour Jasim Abdalla, and Noor Abdulrahman Aseeri.
The silver medal winners included Khadija Ahmed Alkhaldi, Sherena Ali Alhosani, Sheikha Ghaya Humaid Alqassimi, Fajar Abdulla Almarzooqi, Maitha Adnan Almatrooshi, Meera Sulaiman Alhammadi, Namaa Ismail Alzarooni, Nityarshi Sankaran, and Hajar Khamis Mousa, Ameera Yusuf Abdulla, Aaraf Khalifa Alrayssi, Amna Sayah Alhammadi, Balqis Sami Mahmoud, Bayan Saif Alzaabi, Aisha Walid Al-Naqbi, Abdelrahman Ali Alzaabi, Ghala Ahmed Alomani, Fatima Ali Alqaydi, Mujahed Iyad Alghaniem, Maryam Humaid Albanna, Maryam Mohammed Alsumaiti, Maitha Saif Alshamsi, Maitha Hamad Alzaabi, Meera Jafar Almaazmi, and Najma Farah Saleem received bronze medals.
The ‘Sheikh Sultan Award for Celebrating the Spirit of Youth’ translates the directives and visions of the Ruler of Sharjah to build generations of young leaders who are ambitious, forward-thinking, empathic, responsible and confident about their abilities. It encourages participants to invest in their efforts to excel in their chosen fields, so they can innovate and contribute to the well-being of their societies.
The Award seeks to recognise the creative and innovative potential of the youth in both traditional and non-traditional fields such as music, arts and sports, and honours their risk-taking abilities, sense of volunteerism and thirst for adventure, in a bid to enhance the human and cultural capital of the nation. The Award also emphasises the need to involve the youth in physical, social and intellectual activities by overcoming the challenges posed by 21st-century lifestyles characterised by the overconsumption of digital media, which is increasingly distancing them from intellectual, emotional and physical pursuits.
The Sheikh Sultan Award is a first-of-its-kind in the region on account of its cultural and social impact, as well as for its role in boosting the youth’s creative talents, resourcefulness and social responsibility. By encouraging participants to acquire knowledge, skills and real-life experiences in a variety of fields, the Award has been enhancing the youth’s practical understanding of the concepts of teamwork and communication and leadership.
‘The Sheikh Sultan Award’ comprises activities which take into account the diversity of interests the youth residing in the UAE as well as the multicultural backgrounds they come from.
