The Al Dhafra Youth Council has launched the Youth Imprint initiative as part of the Liwa International Festival 2026. The initiative is a youth-led community programme that aims to highlight the role of young people and youth councils in supporting national events and serving the community, while enhancing their active participation through the implementation of high-impact initiatives with sustainable social, cultural and sports dimensions during the Liwa International Festival. The initiative serves as a unifying platform that brings together the efforts of youth and partner entities to deliver innovative experiences that reflect young people’s potential and contribute to their empowerment.
Youth Imprint is the first of its kind to activate the role of youth councils at this level of organisation and integration within the Liwa International Festival, reflecting the evolution of institutional youth engagement models and their growing role in supporting major national events and strengthening community impact.
The initiative was launched in collaboration with more than 15 partners from the ministerial, governmental and private sectors, in addition to youth councils, as part of efforts to empower youth and enhance their active participation in community life, support institutional partnerships and strengthen integration across sectors to reinforce the community role of young people. The initiative witnessed the participation of more than 600 youth and community members from across the UAE, during which the Council organised eight diverse initiatives that included dialogue sessions, youth circles, workshops, cinema festivals, community activations, as well as sports tournaments. These activities aimed to develop skills, foster initiative and create open platforms for dialogue and the exchange of experiences among youth.
The initiative also included the launch of the first Tebah Challenge at the Liwa International Festival and a Padel Tournament for Youth Councils, which contributed to strengthening communication and integration among youth councils nationwide, reinforcing concepts of teamwork and positive competition.
The initiative also featured a number of youth circles that addressed key community issues, including sessions entitled From the Year of Community to the Year of Family, and Youth Challenges with Awareness and Responsibility, enhancing young people’s awareness of their role in supporting social cohesion and reinforcing positive values.
As part of the community engagement component, the Al Dhafra Youth Council organised the Knots of Liwa activation in collaboration with The Knot, a community-focused activity targeting families and youth. Participants collaborated to create a collective art installation expressing the spirit of Liwa and its authentic identity, using networks of threads and patterns inspired by traditional Emirati crafts, thereby strengthening values of social connectedness and pride in national identity.
The Council also hosted a Community Dialogue initiative entitled Dalma of the Future: Innovative Solutions for Community Empowerment, which shed light on development issues related to remote and outlying areas and showcased innovative ideas and solutions that contribute to community empowerment and enhanced quality of life.
The Al Dhafra Youth Council emphasised that the wide-ranging partnerships with ministerial, governmental, private entities and youth councils, contributed significantly to enriching the initiative and expanding its community impact, reflecting the integration of roles across sectors in supporting and empowering youth to contribute effectively to the UAE’s national development journey.
The Youth Imprint initiative forms part of a series of programmes implemented by the Al Dhafra Youth Council, in line with the UAE’s direction to invest in youth, strengthen their role as active partners in community development, and enhance their presence in major national events, particularly in the Al Dhafra Region.
