Saudi Arabia Champions Youth Leadership at 2025 Global Tech Summit

Editorial Team

Last updated 25-03-2025

2 min

Saudi Arabia shone at the 2025 Global Youth Summit, focusing on youth leadership in technology.

Led by Shahad Al-Balawi and Engineer Rakan Al-Anazi, they championed youth as change agents.

Key discussions included digital empowerment and AI, highlighting the importance of youth education.

Saudi initiatives like "Generation Connect" emphasised collaboration with young people for future tech progress.

The summit reinforced Saudi's commitment to youth development and technological innovation.

Saudi Arabia recently took centre stage at the 2025 Global Youth Summit, held from 11 to 13 March in Varadero, Cuba, where the spotlight fell squarely on the next generation of leaders in technology. Under the guidance of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), this impressive gathering zeroed in on amplifying youth voices, connecting communities and fostering inclusivity through information and communications technology (ICT).

Led by Ms Shahad Al-Balawi, Director of International Representation at the Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST), the Saudi delegation wasn't shy about stepping forward, taking a prominent role in both preparations and conversations at the event. And with Engineer Rakan Al-Anazi actively involved, representing the Arab Youth Envoys, the Kingdom's message of championing youth as crucial agents of change was loud and clear.

Over the three-day event, speakers explored hot topics from digital empowerment of female leaders to the newest strides forward in artificial intelligence (AI)—and fair enough, who doesn't want to discuss AI these days? I recently overheard someone jokingly call AI "the digital Marmite"—you either love it or loathe it, but everyone seems to have an opinion. Humour aside, panelists agreed that educating young people about digital challenges is a priority we can't afford to bypass.

Through initiatives like the "Generation Connect" programme, the ITU has been working hard to rope in regional youth envoys, collaborating closely with younger generations to shape a brighter, tech-savvy future. The Saudi representatives made clear that this active participation is crucial in turning local ambitions and youthful dreams into genuine regional and global change.

It’s not every day that Cuba sees such an eclectic gathering of young delegates, decision-makers, and international stakeholders assembled to brainstorm solutions and map out ways forward for our increasingly digitised societies. Looking at these forward-thinking ideas, Arageek readers might rightly feel encouraged about the future of technology and ICT empowerment for young people worldwide.

The summit wasn't simply about conversations, though. It was a chance to underline the Kingdom's long-standing commitment to youth development, having invested heavily into educational opportunities and backing real-world innovation that helps young innovators stand firm in today's ever-changing technology lanscape.

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