Masdar Y4S Mentorship Programme Builds Future Green Leaders

The Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S) Initiative, led globally by Masdar, has successfully completed its first-ever Mentorship Programme. This new programme was created to guide and empower young people who are passionate about creating a more sustainable future. Over a period of 20 weeks, the initiative connected talented youth with experienced leaders to help them build skills, shape their goals, and prepare for real-world impact in the sustainability sector.

A total of 25 young future leaders from 11 different countries joined the programme. These participants were paired with mentors who came from 14 respected organisations, including government institutions, major international companies, and top universities. The goal was to give the mentees a deeper understanding of sustainability challenges and to prepare them with the knowledge and confidence needed to drive positive change in their home countries.

The programme was designed around regular one-on-one sessions between each mentor and mentee. These meetings provided a chance to exchange ideas, learn from real experience, and develop a clear professional plan. Through these discussions, participants strengthened key skills in innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship, and long-term sustainability strategy. Each mentee came away with a stronger vision of their future and the steps required to achieve their goals.

Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Executive Director of Brand & Strategic Initiatives at Masdar, highlighted the purpose of the programme. She explained that the focus is on preparing young leaders who can act with confidence, purpose, and understanding. According to her, the Y4S Mentorship Programme gives youth not only guidance but also access to decision-makers and tools that will help them face the global sustainability transformation with strength.

One of the participants, Dana Alkaabi, shared that the programme greatly influenced how she sees her career path. She said that it gave her a clearer direction and boosted her confidence. She also explained that the experience helped her grow on both a personal and professional level, motivating her to continue developing her skills in sustainability.

The participants came from a wide international background, including the UAE, Germany, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, the United States, Brazil, Yemen, India, Kazakhstan, and Syria. This diversity strengthened the programme, as youth from different cultures shared ideas and learned from one another.

The mentors who supported the programme represented a strong network of organisations such as Masdar, Siemens Energy, the UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, GE Vernova, Stellr, NYU Abu Dhabi, Al Futtaim, IRENA, East Africa Carbon Markets Forum, ADNOC Group, Hub71, IKEA UAE–Qatar–Egypt–Oman, Hilton Hotels and Resorts (APAC), UAE University, and EY. Their involvement ensured the mentees received top-level guidance and insight.

The programme also highlighted its commitment to gender inclusion. Sixty-four percent of mentees and 60 percent of mentors were female. This shows that the initiative strongly supports equal leadership opportunities and aims to empower women in the sustainability field.

With the completion of the first cycle of the Y4S Mentorship Programme, Masdar continues to build a community of young leaders who can shape a greener and more sustainable world. The initiative plans to keep expanding and offering more opportunities to youth who want to contribute meaningfully to global environmental progress.