NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia’s Economy and Planning Minister Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim has told world leaders at the 80th UN General Assembly that young people are “key” to ensure the world’s long-term sustainable development.
Al-Ibrahim was speaking during the commemoration of the World Program of Action for Youth which was set up 30 years ago.
“In a world where many struggle to embrace long-term vision, youth remains the key factor,” Al-Ibrahim told the high-level gathering.
“They possess the future more than we ever will. The lessons from our experiences are clear: involve youth, invest in them, and depend on them today.”
Al-Ibrahim highlighted Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a prime example of youth-driven leadership, crediting his transformative vision with channeling young people’s energy and ambitions into concrete national progress.
“It is not merely about population size, but about leadership,” Al-Ibrahim explained. He cited Saudi Vision 2030 as “the best model of long-term planning and sustainable implementation.”
The minister noted that while nearly half the world’s population is under 30, youth unemployment remains three times higher than adult joblessness. Millions of young people continue to fall outside formal education, training, and employment frameworks.
Al-Ibrahim warned that collective action would determine whether current demographic trends become “opportunities that bear fruit or burdens that weigh down the entire global system.”
