Youth Rights

The UAE is proud of its achievements in aligning with global frameworks that promote and protect the rights of youth. Through establishing initiatives and programmes to raise standards of living and educational opportunities, UAE has become a model for youth empowerment, serving as a regional and international benchmark for the promotion of youth rights.

The UAE consistently ranks highly across international indices related to youth rights.

For twelve consecutive years, the UAE has been recognised as the top country in the world for Arab youth to live, according to the annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey.

The UAE’s 9.89 per cent youth unemployment rate stands out as far lower than the MENA region average, which is over 25 per cent (data from 2023).

Since the foundation of the UAE, young people have been the bedrock of our society. As HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said, the UAE was “built by the… achievements of youth”. To this end, empowering the next generation is a firm national priority.

Milestone Achievements

With almost 50 per cent of the UAE population aged between 15 and 35, the UAE has taken major steps to empower young people and prepare the next generation to contribute to Emirati society.

The National Youth Strategy: The UAE’s flagship National Youth Strategy supports young people to transition through life’s key stages, namely: education, work, adopting a healthy and safe lifestyle, starting a family and exercising citizenship. The strategy underpins the UAE’s efforts to empower young Emiratis, to maximise their capabilities and pursue opportunities of their choosing. It also informs a policy framework which has pushed forward significant advancements on youth rights – from enhancing participation in decision-making to ensuring equal opportunities.

Youth Circle: Against this backdrop, the UAE also launched its Youth Circles initiative to inspire a youth-centric dialogue across a variety of areas – aiming to shape innovative solutions for global challenges. To date, more than 25,0000 young people have benefited from participating in the initiative.

Minimum age for employment: In 1998, the United Arab Emirates ratified International Labour Convention No. 138 of 1973, which addresses the minimum age for employment, and subsequently aligned its national legislation with the provisions of the Convention. In this context, The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation enacted Labour Law No. 33 of 2022, which regulates labor relations and stipulates that individuals must reach the age of fifteen to obtain a training or work permit. The law allows those between the ages of 15 and 18 to work under official work permits issued by the Ministry, provided that the employer meet specific conditions. It also prohibits the employment of juveniles at night in industrial projects, or in hazardous or unhealthy work.

Education & vocational training

Ensuring access to quality education is a national priority, and the UAE is committed to ensuring the youth of today are empowered with the skills and knowledge to meet future challenges as the UAE diversifies its economy.

The right to quality education is guaranteed by the UAE Constitution – provided free of cost by the state.

The UAE is ranked highly across several global education indicators, including the number of students that enter higher education and the number of international scholarship programmes provided by governmental and semi-governmental institutions, private companies, academic institutions, and technical institutes.

There are also 13 youth centres across the UAE, serving as vital dedicated spaces to help young people develop essential skills, as well as enhance access to quality education, mentorship, and employment opportunities.

Decision Making

Young Emiratis are eager to shape the world around them, and the UAE is committed to providing opportunities to engage young people in decision-making

Creating the position of Minister of State for Youth Affairs: In a bid to increase the representation of young people, in 2016 the UAE instated a Minister of State for Youth Affairs, HE Shamma bint Suhail bin Faris Al Mazrouei. Appointed at age 22, she was the youngest minister in the world at the time, serving as a powerful advocate for Emirati youth.

Youth membership in the Federal National Council: The UAE is proud of the diversity of its Federal National Council, with young people making up 37.5% of its members in its 17th legislative term.

Youth Councils: Seeking to diversify the channels in which young people engage with decision-making, in 2017 the UAE launched a series of Youth Councils – a unique forum to ensure young people are fairly represented at all stages of the policy development process. In addition, in 2018, the UAE established its Federal Youth Authority to connect young people to every branch of government.

Federal Youth Authority: In 2018, the UAE established its Federal Youth Authority to connect young people to every branch of government.

Employment: In 2019, the UAE made it mandatory for federal government entities to include young Emiratis (under 30 years old) in the Boards of Directors of respective entities.

Economy & Entrepreneurship

The UAE is committed to providing the necessary support to nurture young talent and empower the next generation of business leaders.

Hub 71 / Fazaa Centre: The UAE has rolled out a number of educational initiatives to help young people develop best-in-class business and entrepreneurial skills. For instance, Hub 71 is a platform that supports young entrepreneurs in the field of advanced technology, while the Fazaa Centre provides support, training and advice for young Emirati entrepreneurs.

Graduates fund: Ensuring young people can gain access to essential seed funding, the AED 1 billion ($272.3 million) Alumni Fund offers university students and recent graduates micro-finance loans to kick start new business ventures, while the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development provides financing solutions and advisory services to support young owners of small and medium enterprises.

The Emirati Talent Competitiveness Program (NAFIS): With unwavering support from the leadership of the United Arab Emirates, which prioritizes the welfare of its citizens, the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Program (NAFIS) is dedicated to creating 75,000 job opportunities in the private sector for Emirati citizens. This effort includes specialized programs aimed at young professionals and new graduates, with a target of achieving a 2% annual growth rate in the localization of skilled jobs, ultimately reaching a 10% growth rate by 2026. Additionally, the Council has set localization targets for companies with 20 to 49 employees across 14 key economic sectors, aiming to appoint at least one citizen in 2024 and another in 2025.

Family & society

The UAE government has rolled out a host of initiatives to improve the quality of life of families and young people.

Housing: Housing: Emirati youth benefit from housing programmes in the UAE. Those aged 18-35 have the right to request housing support from the country's national and local housing programmes. The Federal Youth Authority has also developed a ‘Housing 101’ course, which provides specialised training sessions on managing the construction of their homes.

Marriage grant: Emirati youth have the right to apply for a marriage grant via the Ministry of Community Development, to help with costs of starting married life.

National Family Policy: In line with UAE Centennial Strategy 2071, the UAE also launched its National Family Policy in 2018 to promote stable family life. Specifically, the policy seeks to achieve five main goals:

Help Emirati families cope with the challenges of marriage.
Promote the stability of family life.
Provide a supportive environment to help Emirati families cope with the stresses of life.
Raise awareness of Emirati families’ responsibility to uphold UAE values and morals.
Promote happiness through family cohesion.

Education, work and health: The UAE is committed to providing equal opportunities for youth in education, work, entrepreneurship, health, skills acquisition, volunteering, as well as participating in the design of policies and strategies for the coming decades.