Emirati student sets up club that wants 'Arabs helping Arabs' at world's top universities

About 100 Arab students scattered across the US and Europe joined the club in the first year

An Emirati student at King’s College London has set up a society to help improve the credentials of other young Arabs at some of the world’s top universities.

Zaineh Abed Alhameed, 19, from Dubai, is using her connections and skills to provide a space for “well-rounded” students from the region to discuss topical issues, build networks and increase their career prospects.

Arab students studying at top-ranking institutions in the US, Britain and wider Europe are eligible for membership.

'Come home and make a difference'

The Youth Visionaries Association has a particular focus on empowering those looking to work in finance, education, healthcare, technology, and the arts.

Ms Alhameed said her hope is that graduates returning to their native countries in the Gulf and the wider Middle East will have the tools to help propel economies forward.

“We want them to come back and made a difference,” the economics undergrad told The National.

“We want to have a next generation come along and build bridges with other generations. It is Arabs helping Arabs.

“We are only taking students from elite universities. We are trying to keep it quite exclusive.

She added that her organisation was looking for “well-rounded Arabs” who have a “natural curiosity” and are interested in areas such as the arts and history.

Zaineh Alhameed and Sima Sinno. Amy McConaghy / The National

“We must be very convinced that they are serious before admitting them”, she added. “We are not lenient, but we are very open.”

Sima Sinno, a YVA co-founder from Lebanon, said that all of those involved share a common vision to return to their home countries where they can make a lasting effect in their respective fields.

Since its creation in 2022, the group has attracted around 100 members studying at places such as Princeton, Colombia and NYU in the US, and King’s, Imperial and London School of Economics in the UK.

Ms Alhameed completed an internship at the Emirati embassy in Belgravia, central London, an experience which gave her an insider’s perspective on the fascinating world of diplomacy.

It planted a seed of a possible future in foreign affairs and highlighted the importance of having a strong network of useful contacts.

“I realised that it’s not just about bilateral relations. We were working on environmental matters and looking at what we could do at Cop28,” she said.

Ms Alhameed wants her fellow Arab students to have the opportunity to interact with figures who are “exceptionally renowned in their fields” and be inspired by their journeys.

Speakers who have addressed members and offered advice include Dr Saeed Aldhaheri, director of the centre for future studies at the University of Dubai, and Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, founder and president of the Arab International’s Women’s Forum.

Leading the Arab renaissance

A forward-thinking vision lies at the heart of what YVA is about.

Ms Alhameed does not have to look far for inspiration as her grandfather, who served as a legal consultant to UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, helped to write the Constitution.

“My parents said to me if this is something he could do before the UAE was a country think of what you can do,” she said.

“The Emiratis I am friends with are just as driven as I am. We all want to come back here and make an impact.

“When you look at the UAE you see how many opportunities they are giving their youth and it’s something we want to help with.

“I am lucky to be from a country that is leading the Arab renaissance.

“The UAE is only 50 years old and we are economically competing with countries that have been established for much longer.

“Like other countries in the region, we’re exceeding expectations.”

To apply to become a member of the YVA, a student must be from an Arab country, be enrolled in a course at one of the world’s top 35 universities, and be referred by a current member.