At every stage of nation building, a question arises that may seem simple on the surface: “What do we do with the youth?” But in truth, it is not a question about an age group; it is a question about the spirit of a nation, its dynamism, and the future it envisions for itself.

In Egypt, we have grown accustomed to viewing youth as “the future.” While this may seem like a positive expression, it carries a hidden risk: postponing them until tomorrow, while they are in fact a flowing presence and a living reality that does not wait.

The makeup of this generation has changed—not only in how they think, but in their awareness, demands, rhythm, and tools. They no longer ask for a role; they are actively assuming one. From technology and artificial intelligence, to civil society and volunteer work, from entrepreneurship to grassroots development initiatives at the edges of cities and in the depths of rural areas. This is a generation that sees the world every morning through their phone screens and measures their personal awareness by their impact—not just by their degrees.

Hence, talking about youth empowerment is no longer a developmental luxury or an electoral slogan—it has become a national duty in every sense. In recent years, the Egyptian state has taken significant strides on this path, through presidential programs for youth training, national dialogue forums, increasing political participation, and supporting entrepreneurship. Yet the next phase calls for a qualitative leap—from empowerment to actual partnership. A partnership in which young people are not only trainees or participants, but influencers and decision-makers.

We need to renew the social contract with this generation—a contract that recognizes their awareness and trusts in their capabilities. A contract that understands youth do not wait for their turn; they create it. They are not asking for privileges; rather, they seek an education that aligns with their world—not a repetition of ours.

It is no secret that Upper Egypt in particular—where I belong both emotionally and in reality—is filled with young people who possess everything. Young people with awareness, skills, and dreams—who only need someone to believe in them without paternalism. And it would only be fair that any genuine renaissance begins with them, for they are the most connected to reality, and the most sincere when they succeed.

The national project that Egypt has been leading for years—whether in infrastructure, transportation, digital transformation, or agricultural development—contributes to establishing a new intellectual structure that redefines the relationship between the state and its youth. A relationship built on trust, not just direction; on interaction, not just instruction. A relationship that truly creates the future, rather than deferring it indefinitely.

These young people are not postponed. They are here… now. In universities, on farms, in workshops, in civil associations, and on new media platforms. And perhaps the greatest thing we can do for them is to believe them when they speak—and to trust them when they act.

Therefore, the real bet in the coming phase must not only be on what the state offers the youth, but on what youth can create alongside the state. The political leadership has proven that the youth file is neither marginalized nor delayed—it is at the heart of the national project, from empowerment arenas to decision-making spaces. And the role remains upon us—those who believe in this generation—to be a bridge between them and the institutions of the state, and to open genuine spaces for expression and participation, not merely advice and instruction. I see them not only as an emerging force but as true partners in shaping the Egypt we want—an Egypt that does not view its youth as a deferred dream, but as a renewable force that creates, initiates, and believes that a homeland can only be built by those who truly believe in it.

Alaa Makady

Egyptian Politician