I remember this scene, despite more than 30 years having passed, when we used to stand at 3 a.m. waiting for the Al-Ahram distribution car on the first day of every month—the day the new issue of "Al-Shabab" magazine, published by Al-Ahram Foundation, was released. Why did we wait until dawn? Because in the morning, we wouldn't find a single copy of the magazine left. The only opportunity to get a copy was to wait for the distribution car, ensuring we were among the first to get one. I was very passionate about reading it, just like all the Arab youth at that time, because it had transcended being just an Egyptian magazine and successfully became the first window for all Arab youth. The secret to its success was understanding what the youth aspired to according to the requirements of that period, making it receive an unprecedented level of interest and success for a youth magazine or platform.

Al-Shabab magazine was like Aladdin's lamp for the youth. Its pages included contests in literature, culture, sports, politics, arts, entertainment, science, and technology. It featured open youth meetings with celebrities, youth trips gathering magazine readers from all backgrounds and nationalities in the "Youth Bus" section, free training courses and educational programs, job opportunities for university graduates, and journalistic experiences and adventures. All of this covered and surpassed our needs as young people during that time.

The magazine succeeded in being closer to the youth, understanding their requirements, being more concerned about their future, and being more aware of the role and importance of the youth in shaping and building the future. I remember participating in an article-writing contest when I was 15 years old and winning a prize of five books that I still keep, along with a signed letter from the late great writer Abdel Wahab Mutawea, the editor-in-chief. The most important prize for me was having my article published in the magazine, which was like a dream come true at the time and the real beginning of feeling that Al-Shabab magazine was not just a magazine but a means of achieving dreams. I started participating in various activities, such as seminars and meetings with celebrities in arts, sports, literature, culture, and science from all fields. We sat with them to learn from their life experiences and successes. The magazine also shed light on successful youth experiences in the Arab world and globally, not just Egypt. These experiences were inspiring stories, motivating any young person to succeed.

I remember the "Surprise Bus" that transported winners of various contests on an unknown journey with an undisclosed itinerary. Suddenly, the bus would stop, and a youth-friendly celebrity from the arts or sports world would board, followed by more surprises throughout the trip.

Talking about Al-Shabab magazine and its impact on my generation of young people cannot be summarized in one article. However, after nearly three decades, thinking back to my memories with the magazine and the inspiring emotions intertwined with them is enough. This is the real impact it left within me, at a time when no magazine or, in today's language, digital platform has the power to gather and inspire Arab youth in the way Al-Shabab magazine succeeded in doing so. It managed to shape their lives in an unforgettable way.

The current population of Arab youth is around 128 million, aged between 15 and 29 years old. With the continuing demographic growth in the region, their number is expected to increase to 200 million by 2030. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on this vital age group, as they represent the future and the core of true development. The closer we get to them and address their concerns, the more successful we will be in achieving real and influential change.

Arab youth embody the true future, with their passion, ambition, determination, enthusiasm, aspirations, desire, motivation, hope, willpower, resilience, courage, dedication, and challenges. However, there is no single Arab youth platform that brings them together, addresses their needs, understands their aspirations, gets closer to their dreams and ambitions, and grasps what goes on in their minds while providing communication and interaction tools.

A youth platform should be able to transform their energies into achievements, dreams into realities, ideas into innovations, aspirations into a bright future, passion into inspiration, ambitions into goals, motivation into hard work, and willpower into challenges and creativity.

There may be some timid attempts at Arab youth platforms, but they have not succeeded in creating a sense of loyalty that makes them a part of their lives, a partner in their future, and a supporter of their creativity. This loyalty and belonging should make them remember the platform even after three decades, just as the "Al-Shabab" magazine is remembered now.

The platform should provide genuine content that the youth seek and keep up with the latest advancements in social media, communication, artificial intelligence, and technology. It should bring them closer to reality and better prepare them for a constantly changing and evolving future. As the scientist and thinker Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud once said, "If the youth do not participate in creating life, others will force them to live the life they create."

A quote from Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan:

"When we talk to the youth, we must speak the language they understand to reach their minds and hearts. We must engage with them in the spirit of the times and not assume that this generation is a carbon copy of previous ones. Each generation has its characteristics, nature, and way of thinking. What was acceptable in the 1950s is now rejected in the 1980s. We must acknowledge that there are competing ideas within them, and it is our duty to open their eyes to right and wrong, and to embrace the hopes and ambitions of the youth."

mhmd.monier@gmail.com