SAT-7’s Youth for an Enabling Society (YES) project is expanding its coverage in the Arab world after overcoming challenges to film inside Oman and Saudi Arabia.
It proved particularly difficult to gain permission to enter and film inside the latter, and many of their initial approaches to Saudi influencers were rejected. But with perseverance, the team finally established trust through showcasing their previous work filmed in other Arab countries and shared on the project’s Our Generation Plus social pages. They went on to film nine inspiring stories from Saudi Arabia.
“We believe Our Generation Plus’ presence in Saudi Arabia is a major achievement, reflecting the channel’s regional presence, marking an important milestone in its journey, and proving our ability to enter new environments, build trust, and expand our social impact on a wider scale,” said YES project lead, Rafik George.
Youth Success Stories
In both Oman and Saudi, as well as in other Arab countries, the YES team has been filming inspiring youth-led initiatives and success stories that are making an impact in local communities and beyond. The films are part of a bigger drive by the project to promote youth entrepreneurship in the MENA region, where the youth unemployment rate is almost double the global average.1
In Saudi, they filmed with Remaz Alaqbi, an award-winning opera singer and member of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir. She is the first Saudi soprano to use her voice to challenge stereotypes about her country.
They also filmed an initiative by a young Saudi man, who wants to improve access to healthcare for people in the country. He designed a small device that captures images of the retina and uses artificial intelligence to detect indicators of serious diseases that may not yet show symptoms.
In Oman, the team filmed eight initiatives as well as providing media coverage for a big exhibition that included projects led by Omani women.
“By filming and sharing these initiatives, we can bring the voices of Omani youth to the Gulf and the whole Arab world,” Rafik said. “These projects show the real image of young people in Oman and highlight Our Generation Plus as a platform for all Arab youth, not just in Egypt.”
The YES project is implemented by SAT-7 Egypt in partnership with the Norwegian Mission Society and supported by DIGNI.
Sources
1 International Labor Organization
