The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) hosted a Youth Circle entitled ‘Youth & Sustainability in Aviation’ in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Emirates Engineering at Dubai International Airport.

Attended by around 70 young people representing a range of technical and managerial backgrounds in the aviation sector, the meeting discussed issues that young Emiratis face in building sustainable careers the aviation sector and propose potential solutions for the issues raised.

In attendance were Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chief executive of Emirates Group; Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director-general of the GCAA.

Sheikh Ahmed said: "It is vital that we encourage more young Emiratis to have flourishing careers in the Aviation sector in the UAE. It is a crucial part of our economy making up around 15 per cent of our national GDP. Whilst we have made remarkable strides in the last few decades, we must secure its future and make sure this continues by attracting more young people to the sector."

Shamma Al Mazrui added, "Young people are our future, so by listening to the youth of today and empowering them, we are building a platform for achieving excellence in the future. Youth Circles provide an important forum for our youth to communicate in an open and honest way with our companies and our leaders."

Al Suwaidi said: "The Youth Circle is a highly constructive gathering and I am very excited by the talent, passion and ability of our young people. To build a sustainable future for the aviation sector in the UAE, we need to continue to invest in a number of key areas. One of the most important of these areas is educating and engaging our young people so that they have the means, skills and expertise to build flourishing careers." - TradeArabia News Service