Doha: Qatar Museums on Sunday inaugurated the First Arab Youth Forum, in cooperation with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO). The three-day event brings together officials, experts, and young participants from 22 Arab countries.
According to Qatar News Agency, the forum aims to empower young people and university students in the Arab world to engage in heritage preservation, promote cultural sustainability, and help shape future strategies for safeguarding Arab heritage. It will conclude with the launch of the Doha Youth Declaration 2025, reflecting the aspirations of a new generation of Arab researchers and calling for stronger cooperation among cultural and academic institutions.
Qatar Museums CEO Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi stated that the forum marks a strategic step toward raising awareness of sustainable cultural heritage protection. He emphasized that workshops and discussions will enable youth to exchange experiences and develop innovative solutions to current and future challenges. Al Rumaihi also noted that the forum coincides with Qatar Museums' 20th anniversary and its Nation of Culture campaign, reaffirming its commitment to building a vibrant cultural landscape in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Meanwhile, ALECSO Director-General Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar highlighted the importance of hosting the forum in Qatar as a means to establish a lasting tradition of youth engagement in research and innovation across the Arab world. He stressed the necessity of confronting risks facing cultural heritage - from natural disasters to human activities and neglect - and the need for young people to play a central role in protecting it.
Head of International Relations at the International Cooperation Department at QM, Dr. Rashid Ali Malheya, highlighted to QNA that the forum was launched as a youth-centric platform, serving as their voice and reflecting their perspectives through interactive workshops and panel discussions on heritage preservation, the latest experiences, and direct engagement with specialists. The forum provides a showcase for youth-led projects, initiatives, and research, reflecting QM's success in mobilizing Arab youth from 22 countries for the first time.
On the first day of the forum, two sessions were held. The first session focused on the protection and management of cultural heritage in the Arab world, highlighting the significance of heritage, reviewing archaeological work from the 1950s to the present, discussing Qatari sites' inclusion in the Arab heritage registry, and exploring UNESCO's role in safeguarding heritage. The second session focused on the development and drafting of the Youth Forum Declaration - Doha 2025, moderated by Dr. Fatema Hassan Al Sulaiti, Director of International Cooperation and Government Affairs at QM.
The forum, "Empowering Arab Youth for Sustainable Heritage", convenes on the margins of the 27th conference under the theme "Sustainability of Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Future Strategies". This event, organized by QM in collaboration with ALECSO, aims to spotlight the significance of heritage sustainability amidst environmental, technological, and social transformations.
The conference is part of broader efforts to strengthen Arab cooperation in heritage preservation, address environmental, climatic, and human challenges affecting archaeological and heritage sites, and ensure cultural heritage remains a marker of identity and history, serving as a source of inspiration and creativity for current and future generations.