P.K. Abdul Ghafour | Arab News

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER: Tarek Abu Auf makes a presentation at the forum on Saturday. (AN photo)

JEDDAH: Young Saudis want to change the negative perception about them and are seeking someone to use their energy and skills for constructive projects. This was the impression given by a group of Saudi young men attending a forum here.

The youths, who came in separate groups, presented eight feasible projects, including a biweekly newspaper focusing on youth affairs and a model sports academy.

“We have presented an academy project to enhance leadership qualities of Saudis,” said Majed Linjawi, a student of Al-Andalus private school. “The name of our group is Basma (imprint) as we want to leave some positive imprints,” he told Arab News.

Linjawi commended the forum organized by a number of public and private institutions in the Makkah province, saying it would help young Saudis unleash their power and capabilities in constructive ways. He hoped the forum would come up with new ideas to enlighten and encourage the youth. “It also needs more publicity and media coverage. If there was good publicity more groups would have attended with marvelous ideas.”

The forum is part of a major youth development program organized by the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) in association with government departments and private companies including the governorate, the Youth Welfare Presidency, King Abdulaziz University and Umm Al-Qura University.

Dr. Abdul Wahab Noorwali, general coordinator of the program, said the forum was aimed at encouraging young Saudis to take part in community development programs and exchange their knowledge and expertise.

“Our youths have come out with interesting projects,” said Mohammed Bin Rabbaa, one of the organizers. “One group has proposed a sports academy project while another a directory for historic and heritage sites in Makkah. Another wanted to use Bluetooth for creating public awareness,” he added.

The youths participating in the forum were found enthusiastic. “If we train 50 Saudi youth leaders, they would make a huge difference in society,” Linjawi said, while explaining the vision of his 11-member Basma.

The sports academy project was the brainchild of Yousuf Julaidan. “It’s not only about sports but also about character building,” said group member Badr Ahmed Fallatah of Umm Al-Qura University. “We will try to promote Islamic values by teaching the youths how to behave and communicate.”

The Makkah heritage directory project can attract Saudi and foreign pilgrims as well as holidaymakers from within the Kingdom and neighboring Gulf countries if it is properly implemented.

Abdullah Jowhar, who is the editor in chief of the proposed youth newspaper, said the paper would be published with the help of experts.

Tarek Abu Auf, a lecturer at College of Business Adminis-tration, gave a presentation on project management.