The UAE is recruiting 50 content creators to produce digital material on water sustainability before a major UN conference in Abu Dhabi this December.
The National Media Authority, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Youth Authority, has launched the Blue Content Creators Programme, with applications open from October 12 to 30.
The initiative will train 50 Emiratis and UAE residents to produce digital content raising awareness of water issues and highlighting the country's sustainability and innovation efforts.
The programme comes as the UAE prepares to co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference with Senegal in Abu Dhabi from December 8-10. It aims to equip young people with skills to communicate the links between water, human health, food, energy and development to audiences at home and abroad.
Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, said the programme would bring new perspectives to water issues.
"The decisions we make today about water will shape the world inherited by future generations," Mr Balalaa said. "It is essential that young people's voices and ideas help guide these decisions.
Fresh ideas and vision
"As the UAE prepares to welcome the world to Abu Dhabi for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, I look forward to the fresh perspectives and innovative ideas young content creators will bring to water issues, the questions they will raise, and the stories and experiences they will highlight.
"Their participation will enrich the conference with new ideas and ambitious creative contributions, encourage us to examine challenges from different perspectives, and reinforce our shared responsibility to translate the discussions in Abu Dhabi into practical action that delivers tangible benefits to individuals and communities."
Mohammed Al Shehhi, secretary general of the National Media Authority, said the UAE places water at the heart of its sustainable development efforts.
"Raising awareness of these issues strengthens public understanding of the challenges and encourages community participation in addressing them," he said.
The programme includes three weeks of training in November, covering water issues, storytelling, video production, digital publishing strategies and the use of artificial intelligence tools in content creation.
Participants will then apply these skills to produce content related to the UN conference in December. Applications are open to UAE citizens and residents aged 18 to 35 with an interest in content creation, media, water, the environment or sustainability, with selections made to reflect the diversity of UAE society.