Doha: The Doha Forum: Youth Edition 2025 opened on Wednesday morning at the Multaqa building in Education City Student Center, jointly organized by QatarDebate Center and the Doha Forum.
According to Qatar News Agency, the event, held from December 3-4, is being organized in a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Sports and Youth and Media City Qatar. The opening ceremony drew high-level officials, including HE Minister of Education and Higher Education and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of QatarDebate Center Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth and Vice Chairperson of QatarDebate Eng. Yasser Al Jamal, and HE Chairperson of Media City Qatar Sheikh Dr. Abdulla bin Ali bin Saoud Al-Thani, alongside a distinguished group of diplomats and international experts.
This year's forum brings together more than 150 emerging leaders from over 100 countries, offering a global platform for youth to develop solutions and policy recommendations to be presented at the main Doha Forum. Held under the theme "Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress," the program tackles key issues in geopolitics, economic development, emerging technologies, cultural diplomacy, and security.
In his opening remarks, HE Eng. Yasser Al Jamal emphasized the pivotal role of youth in shaping the future, addressing the participants by stating: "Your participation today sends a clear message that young people are not merely present on the scene, but are a force capable of transforming dialogue into initiatives, and visions into actionable steps that create real impact."
Commenting on this occasion, HE Executive Director of the Permanent Committee for Organizing Conferences Mubarak Ajlan Al Kuwari said: "Justice is not only debated within the halls of conferences but is tested in real-world contexts such as classrooms, digital spaces, workplaces, and communities."
"The Youth edition of the Doha Forum was launched specifically to ensure that your perspectives, interests, and priorities are genuinely integrated into the discussions before they reach the main stage. Over more than two decades, the Doha Forum has established itself as a platform for serious dialogue, grounded in the pursuit of practical solutions, ranging from diplomacy and conflict resolution to technology, climate, global health, and media."
For his part, Director of Administration and Strategy at QatarDebate Abdulrahman Al Subaie said: "The relationship between the QatarDebate Center and the Doha Forum is not a mere signed document or a partnership preserved in files, but a convergence of visions and a profound recognition that the voice of youth is not a fleeting echo, but a compass guiding the direction of the future.
We believe that dialogue is not a luxury but a necessity, and that empowering young people with skills is an investment in global peace and resilience."
The ceremony also featured a dialogue with HE Sheikh Dr. Abdulla bin Ali bin Saoud Al-Thani on the role of media in empowering young people. During the session, His Excellency said: "Media is the true language of this generation. We are moving beyond simply consuming content; we are building an ecosystem where young creators lead the narrative.
At Media City Qatar, our commitment is simple: to transform the digital energy of our youth into a stronger creative economy for Qatar and global opportunity, ensuring that the next great ideas - and the powerful voices of Arabic content - are launched right here in Doha."
The first day continued with a series of high-level panels examining global challenges. A key session, "Who Holds the Line: Rethinking Responsibility in Geopolitics," explored shifts in global power dynamics and proposed new frameworks for accountability and international cooperation driven by young leaders. The session featured prominent speakers including incoming CEO of Doctors Without Borders, USA, and former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Tirana Hassan and Founder and CEO of Strategy Hub Sheikha Amna bint Suhaim Al-Thani.
The first day of the forum also witnessed the signing of a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) between QatarDebate Center and Qatar Foundation for Social Work. The MoU was signed by Director of Administration and Strategy at QatarDebate Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Subaie, and Director of the Communication Department at the Foundation Noor Salah Al Mohannadi.
The cooperation framework includes coordinating community debates within the Foundation and its affiliated centers, designing training programs in debate and critical thinking, and supporting beneficiaries' participation in regional and international events related to social and humanitarian issues. It also covers the exchange of expertise, collaboration on international engagements and conferences, and the organization of joint activities that serve shared objectives and strengthen community awareness.
The forum activities continue through discussion sessions, skills-building workshops, and open dialogues during which youth delegations present practical proposals to be submitted to the "Doha Forum".