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Winners of Youth Creativity Award in World of Data Recognized in Doha to Mark Gulf Youth Day
Doha, June 06 (QNA) – The Ministry of Sports and Youth (MSY), in collaboration with the National Planning Council’s National Statistics Center (NSC) and GCC-Stat, organized Saturday a recognition ceremony for the winners of the first Youth Creativity Award in the World of Data.
The event marked the celebration of Gulf Youth Day, as well as the recognition of the panel overseeing the award, alongside members of the judging panel.
The ceremony was attended by HE Secretary-General of the National Planning Council Dr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Engineer Yasser bin Abdullah Al Jamal, HE Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Development Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Khalid bin Ali bin Salem Al Sunaidi, alongside a variety of officials, experts, and specialists in data, AI, and statistics.
The results of the award’s first track, Statistical Analysis and Data Visualization, saw Abdullah Mohammed Al Haddad of Qatar win first place for his project, “The Buffer and the Burden.”
Khulood Mishari Al Ajmi of Kuwait snagged second place for her project, “Malath Pro,” while Ruqayyah bint Mohammed Al Khaifiyah of Oman came third for her project, “Skills Compass.”
In the second track, Open Data-Based Solutions, Nasser bin Saeed Al Shukaili of Oman won first place for his project, “STEP.”
He was followed by Mujahid bin Mohammed Al Suwaiti of Oman in second place for his project, “Orca,” while Nawaf bin Saud Al Rashdi of Oman finished third for his project, “RealTime Dashboard Report.”
In the third track, AI Applications, Mohammed bin Khamis Al Farsi of Oman secured first place for his project, “One Stop Intelligence,” with Qatari Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Harqan snagging second place for his project, “Gulf Career Compass.”
Qatari Noura Hamad Al Hajri won third place for her project, “Statistical Analysis of Trends and Preferences of Students in the GCC Countries Toward Career Pathways and Academic Majors in Light of the Objectives of Vision 2030.”
In the fourth track, Data Foresight and Predictive Models, Saudi Atheer bint Abdullah Al Harbi won first place for her project, “Maeesh Tech,” with Omani Amna bint Saif Al Raisi taking second place for “Riwaa,” while Shamsa Mohammed Al Mheiri of the United Arab Emirates came third for “AI Agent.”
The award forms part of MSY’s efforts to empower Gulf youth and enhance their participation in the fields of data and emerging technologies, while encouraging them to develop innovative solutions that contribute to sustainable development and data-driven decision-making amid the region’s rapid digital evolution.
Open to Gulf youth aged 18 to 34, the contest drew high-quality entries and innovative projects spanning data analytics, AI, digital applications, and innovative statistical solutions, demonstrating the Gulf’s growing interest in the digital economy and investment in youth capabilities across future-oriented sectors.
Dr. Al Khalifa shared that the concept of strength is broader than being confined to a single aspect, affirming that it encompasses various components of empowerment and capacity-building.
The most important manifestation of strength in today’s world is the ability to access knowledge and correctly make sense of data, transforming it into tools that create a more powerful and prosperous future for nations and communities, Dr. Al Khalifa pointed out.
He noted that the National Planning Council, while vested with national responsibility, believes that data are not merely an end in themselves, but a means of serving people and improving their quality of life.
Therefore, the council strives to advance national data and support the decision-making process, stemming from an enduring conviction that sustainable development is founded on accurate knowledge and a profound understanding of reality, Dr. Al Khalifa said.
He highlighted that the award is not merely a competition among submitted projects, but rather an investment in a generation of young talents that will ultimately become a fundamental partner in shaping the future of Gulf nations – a generation that thinks outside the box by wielding tools that transform knowledge into value, data into vision, and ideas into practical solutions that contribute to serving society.
Dr. Al Khalifa further emphasized that data are not merely digits in tables or indices in reports, but rather the foundation of a proper understanding of reality, guiding people from guesswork to knowledge and from reaction to conscious planning and preparedness for the future.

Al Jamal for his part congratulated the winners and affirmed that the accomplishments they have made reflect the true breakthrough the Gulf youth have made in leveraging data and cutting-edge technologies for the service of their societies and buttressing their effective contributions to building the knowledge-based economy, as well as innovative solutions for development challenges.

The staging of this ceremony to coincide with this day demonstrates the great importance MSY prioritizes in investing in the Gulf minds, which are the true wealth of their nations, Al Jamal underscored.

He noted that this move comes as a practical translation of the Action Plan of the Committee of Their Highnesses, Excellencies, Ministers of Youth and Sports in the GCC States (2024-2030), which aims to reinforce the engagement of young people in outstanding programs and elevate the quality of knowledge and innovation outputs with sustainable development impact.

Director-General of the National Statistics Center at the National Planning Council, Ahmed Hassan Al Obaidly, said the award serves as an important Gulf platform for investing in youth capabilities and directing them toward future fields. He added that data has become one of the core pillars of planning, policymaking, and decision-making.

Al Obaidly described the initiative as a consolidated institutional effort operating within an interoperable framework, aimed at raising knowledge and innovative outputs with sustainable developmental impact, while reinforcing key areas of strength in statistical and data systems.

HE Director General of GCC-Stat, Intisar bint Abdullah Al Wuhaibiyah, said she was glad with the success of the award’s first edition, labeling it one of the region’s foremost initiatives in engaging young people in statistics, data, and AI.

She recalled that GCC-Stat has always been committed to backing initiatives that help spread awareness of the criticality of data and statistics and promoting the innovation culture.

Investing in young aptitudes represents a core pillar to build a sophisticated statistical system that supports development and decision-making process in the GCC nations, a system that keeps up with the rapid evolution the world is going through in terms of digital transformation and AI.

Director of the Social and Environmental Statistics Department at Qatar’s National Planning Council, Ibrahim Hamad Al Mohannadi, told Qatar News Agency (QNA) the significance of this award lies in the fact that it is a platform for young people to showcase smart and innovative solutions when using information and data that are relevant to their community’s issues.

He affirmed that AI is the language of the era, emphasizing that data are not merely digits but rather tools for analysis to take decisions and envision the future to be further utilized in sustainable development.

Assistant Research Professor at the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University and member of the judging committee of the Youth Creativity in the World of Data Award, Dr. Ali Al Kubaisi, talking to QNA, said that the first edition of this award delivered impressive results, reflecting what the best of Gulf youth have been able to achieve as they sought to harness AI and open data across multiple fields.

Al Kubaisi highlighted that the common thread among participants was how AI can be used in a proper and scrupulously structured manner. These young participants, he said, succeeded in developing practical solutions that support public policy and advance sustainable development across the GCC nations.

It is worth noting that the award aims to support Gulf integration in the fields of data, information, and AI, encourage young people to develop innovative solutions and products, highlight successful youth models, and strengthen awareness of the importance of data and statistics in supporting development and public policymaking. (QNA)