Over the past decade, youth in the Arab region have consistently been framed in developmental discourse through statistical abstraction – a generational mass representing over 280 million individuals, often reduced to an “age group” with potential to be unlocked. This framing, while demographically compelling, has failed to grapple with the political, social, and moral consciousness of youth in the Arab region – particularly in times of crisis and systemic inertia. As regional upheaval intensifies and formal mechanisms falter, the narrative must shift not merely about youth, but by and for them.  

The prevailing institutional approaches to youth development often rest on outdated assumptions: that access to employment equates to empowerment, that inclusion in policy consultations signals participation, and that grant-funded initiatives inherently build trust. Yet, these assumptions collapse under close scrutiny. The Arab region continues to report some of the world’s highest youth unemployment rates, especially among women, but framing this challenge as an economic deficit alone is reductive.  

In reality, youth in Arab region experience unemployment not only as financial precarity but as socially imposed expectation to pursue conformity over aspiration. When formal labour markets fail, family structures often absorb young individuals into informal or intergenerational income streams – reinforcing the illusion of stability while concealing deep frustrations related to autonomy, mobility, and personal meaning.  

Such pressures are compounded by age and gender hierarchies that restrict youth agency at multiple levels, beginning in domestic settings and extending into civic and institutional spheres. Many youth are socialised into silence within their families, only to later find that governments treat them as citizens-in-waiting, invited to participate symbolically but excluded substantively.  

Within the development ecosystem, youth have undoubtedly gained visibility through youth-serving NGOs, multilateral initiatives, and civic forums. However, the nature of this participation remains deeply constrained. Young people are often acutely aware of the donor logic underpinning their inclusion: participation is expected to be polished, non-disruptive, and aligned with pre-existing programmatic objectives.  

As several youth leaders have candidly noted, they are frequently invited to ‘complete the picture’ to provide emotional testimony, photographic representation, or conceptual innovation that enhances institutional outputs – but rarely to exercise influence. This participatory theater, though occasionally beneficial for youth career-building, has contributed to a deeper erosion of trust. Many no longer believe these spaces are meant for them.  

This fracture between institutional family and youth reality has never been more evident than in the recent context of Gaza. While the humanitarian and political crisis has revealed the paralysis of many international systems, it has also highlighted the resilience, audacity, and more clarity of youth-led responses. Young people across the Arab region and the world – often at personal risk and without institutional backing – have mobilised aid, shaped global narratives, redefined transnational solidarity.  

They have become, in effect, moral leaders of this moment. And in doing so, they have exposed the limitations of the current architecture of youth engagement – one that remains too cautious, too filtered, and too performative to keep pace with the urgency youth feel.  

This moment demands more than programme adaptation; it requires narrative transformation. Institutions must move beyond superficial reform to embrace a posture of humility. The primary role of youth portfolios, such as UNDP’s ShababEEK, is not to engineer youth pathways, but to create the space for youth to define and lead their own.  

Since 2022, ShababEEK has evolved into a regional learning platform committed to supporting youth in reclaiming the narrative. With over 50,000 youth engaged to date, its commitment continues to defend the conditions under which youth can articulate their own-made pathways. Our work recipe is simple, we listen to what is not said, we question what has long been assumed and resist the temptation to prescribe. We recognise that trust is not built by visibility but by consistency. Not by inclusion in panels, but by proximity to lived experience.  This commitment is exemplified through integrated efforts such as the NextGenYouth Platform, now counting over 4,000 users across the region. Designed by youth, for youth, and with youth. It aims to become the region’s primary hub for youth-led knowledge, action, and learning.  

2025 marks the 10th anniversary since World Youth Skills Day (WYSD). This year’s theme focuses on Youth empowerment through AI and digital skills. ShababEEK has enabled 2,535 youth to benefit from tailored support in livelihood, skills development, and entrepreneurship. The NextGenYouth Platform aims to support young people to unleash their creativity for more sustainable development. On World Youth Day, we celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. 

The future on youth engagement in the Arab region hinges not on expanding access to existing spaces, but on ceding institutional ground for youth to construct their own. The most transformative innovations, the most ethical leadership, and the most courageous solidarity are already emerging from youth communities – often despite, not because of, institutional frameworks. 

On World Youth Skills Day, we must work with our partners closely to recognize the power of young people as drivers of change—and commit to equipping them with digital skills to tackle today’s challenges and shape a more peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable future.