Leadership and Entrepreneurship in Humanitarian Development | Yemen

My professional journey began at a memorable moment when the war broke out in Yemen. On that day, which was supposed to be a new beginning for a suffering people, I woke up to the sounds of gunfire and explosions, creating scenes of chaos and destruction around me. This day was not just the beginning of a conflict, but the start of a life journey filled with challenges. While young people in stable environments were achieving success in their fields, I was living in the heart of suffering and destruction, watching my city drown in the pain of ongoing conflict.

During those difficult moments, I faced pain and despair, especially since I was in the pre-university stage. Despite that, I had a strong internal drive for change. I realized it was time for me to be part of the solution, and I could no longer just watch the situation unfold. I had to contribute to rebuilding my city. However, despite my strong determination, I faced significant challenges, the most notable of which was the difficult economic situation that prevented me from completing my university studies.

But I decided to start educating myself. I enrolled in a language institute to learn English and looked for other opportunities to develop my skills. These steps were not just academic pursuits, but a desire to build bridges between myself and the outside world, to become a voice for the Yemeni youth who were suffering in silence. Over time, I completed my secondary education and obtained a higher diploma in English, which opened doors for me to communicate with the international community.

But I discovered that language skills alone were not enough to achieve the desired change. I decided to seize opportunities in humanitarian work and sustainable development, so I began volunteering with many local organizations. Through these experiences in institutional and fieldwork, I learned that leadership does not just mean holding a prestigious position or power, but it is the ability to have a positive impact and create change in your environment, in addition to the ability to motivate, inspire, and work together with others.

This experience motivated me to create several youth initiatives aimed at empowering young people and encouraging them to contribute to societal change. Among the most prominent of these initiatives was the "Youth Dialogue Diversity Forum," which brought together over 200 young people from various parts of Yemen to oppose violence based on differences and ethnic, regional, and religious diversity, and engage in constructive dialogue to exchange ideas and explore ways to build peace and societal coexistence. I also founded the "Middle East Forum for Development and Peacebuilding," through which I aim to build an online platform to connect youth from different countries to collaborate on addressing shared issues. Additionally, I established the "Yemeni Elites Coalition," which focuses on involving youth in their issues and offering practical solutions.

My deep awareness of the issues, challenges, and problems facing youth and Yemeni society in general has pushed me to play an active role in decision-making and public policy processes, shedding light on these prominent issues and representing the voice of Yemeni youth at the international level to continue making change in my developmental journey and practicing leadership by providing support, guidance, consultations, and preparing effective projects and programs that focus on empowering youth and adolescents and enhancing their leadership and active participation at the local and international levels. Leadership for youth is not just about providing educational and training opportunities for them, but also motivating them to make bold decisions that impact their communities. Through my continuous work in these areas, I realized that true entrepreneurship lies in teamwork and involving everyone in the change process, working together to achieve common goals that serve the public interest.

Today, I am honored to offer educational and training opportunities to my community, believing that community progress is the only way to achieve my personal advancement. Through the experiences and opportunities that life has given me, I have realized that humanitarian and developmental work is not just a profession for me; it is a life mission aimed at building a better future for Yemen and future generations.

My life message is based on the principles I have learned from my personal experiences: that leadership requires a clear vision, strong will, and endless patience. True entrepreneurship is not just personal success; it is empowering others, sharing opportunities with them, and working as a team to achieve sustainable change. True leadership is the ability to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and to continue inspiring others to work toward a better future.

The goal I seek to achieve through these initiatives is to empower a generation of young people who have the will to contribute to creating change, which I consider the greatest success I can achieve. I firmly believe that true entrepreneurship stems from collaboration and teamwork, where efforts unite to achieve a prosperous future and a better society.

Through this progress, I hope to continue my journey of enhancing the role of youth in society and enabling them to acquire the tools that allow them to make bold and positive decisions in their lives and communities. If I am honored to win the Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development under the title of Leadership and Entrepreneurship for 2025, I will use the available funding to create a center for education and vocational training, with the aim of providing real opportunities for our youth in various fields such as entrepreneurship, management, and marketing, so that they can improve their lives and contribute to the development of their community.

My life message is summarized in that suffering, deprivation, and the problems and challenges of life can create a creative, innovative, and leadership-driven person with a great incentive for change, responsibility, and active community participation. True entrepreneurship and leadership require continuous dedication, a long-term vision, and change only happens when we believe we are part of the solution and take responsibility for leading future generations toward a better .