Mandela, Yazigi among AYF’s participants

CAIRO - 17 March 2019: The first edition of the Arab and African Youth Forum (AYF) kicked off in Aswan on Saturday and will run for three days under the patronage of Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.



AYF’ Platform was launched with a ceremony that celebrated Egypt's chairing of the African Union and shed light on Egypt's position as a meeting point between the Arab and African civilizations.

The opening ceremony gathered a number of senior officials, representatives and public figures from Africa such as Mariam al-Mansouri, the UAE's first female fighter pilot; Moussa Faki, the African Union Commission chairperson; Nelson Mandela’s grandson; Syrian journalist and anchor Zaina Yazigi and Ahmad Ahmad, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

A set of Arab and African countries will contribute in the AYF including Nigeria, Djibouti, Chad, Ghana, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Gambia, Sudan, Gabon, Iraq, Palestine, Guinea and Mozambique.
The forum will tackle topics such as the future of scientific research and health care, the impact of advanced technology and innovation in Africa and the Arab region.

The forum's agenda revolves around Arab and African subjects of concern in light of Egypt's presidency of the African Union in 2019. The Youth forum’s activities include open discussions, workshops, seminars and round tables, gathering senior officials, decision-makers and a large number of young people from all over Africa.

An open discussion will be held about ways to get the utmost benefits from the Nile Valley being the pathway for the Arab and African integration; that is in addition to a workshop about “Developing Coastal Regions”.

Moreover, the forum is going to offer two entrepreneur workshops entitled “How to be a Successful Entrepreneur” and “Social Entrepreneur from an African Perspective”.