DUBAI, 3rd November, 2026 (WAM)– The Arab Youth Centre (AYC), in collaboration with the New Economy Academy (NEA), has launched the New Economy Program 2026 to help 400 young Arabs understand how technology, sustainability and creativity are changing the way people work and build businesses.
The first cohort of 100 participants began training today, marking the start of four cohorts delivered online in Arabic throughout November. Bringing together young men and women from across the Arab world, the programme connects major economic shifts with decisions about careers, skills and entrepreneurship.
At its core is a practical focus on how opportunities emerge: how digital platforms help businesses and independent professionals reach customers, how more efficient use of resources supports new business models, and how culture and creative content generate economic value. Participants will examine these developments alongside the changing sources of income and skills requirements shaping labour markets.
Fatima Al Hallami, Executive Director of AYC, said: “Investing in young people’s knowledge and capabilities is essential to building more diverse and competitive Arab economies. Through our partnership with the New Economy Academy, we aim to help young Arabs understand economic change, make informed career decisions and establish businesses that meet their communities’ needs. By connecting their ambitions with development priorities, we strengthen their contribution to sustainable economic growth.”
NEA will deliver the programme through specialist trainers and experts, combining economic concepts with discussions of their application across industries and markets. Four themes will explore the forces changing business activity and the opportunities arising from them.
The first examines the foundations of the new economy, including how data, artificial intelligence, blockchain and digital infrastructure are transforming business operations and the delivery of products and services. It also covers financial innovation and inclusion, alongside the contribution of knowledge, research and development, and human capital to business growth.
The second focuses on technology’s impact on industries and labour markets. Participants will explore how the platform economy connects markets through digital networks and how the gig economy is expanding flexible ways of working, with implications for reaching customers, providing services and earning income.
The third brings together the green and circular economies, resource efficiency, and the AI economy and its governance. It examines how economic change intersects with sustainability and the responsible, ethical use of technology in decision-making.
The fourth explores the experience and creative economies, examining how culture, creative content and experiences generate value, inform the development of products and services, and support business growth.
Each cohort will complete eight hours of training over two days, with four hours of sessions per day.
The opening cohort runs on 3–4 November, followed by cohorts on 10–11, 17–18 and 24–25 November 2026. Participants who complete the programme will receive electronic certificates of participation issued by the AYC and NEA.
Source: Emirates News Agency
