Talent and creativity, as defined by psychologists, refer to individual capacities and skills that enable a person to achieve artistic or creative works. Talent is the innate ability a person possesses in a specific field, such as music, sports, or visual arts. This talent may manifest at a young age. Creativity, on the other hand, is the ability to produce new and innovative ideas and works, whether in art, science, or any other field. When a talented person creatively applies their talent, they can create unique and distinctive artistic or innovative works. Therefore, we can consider talent as the core ability possessed by an individual, while creativity represents the actual application of that talent to produce something new and innovative.
From this perspective, we can say that attention to the talented and creative individuals is a fundamental aspect of the qualitative renaissance, growth, and civilizational progress of any human society. It is well-known that the United Arab Emirates places significant emphasis on this matter across the globe. This is clearly demonstrated in the initiatives and significant awards launched by its leaders in this regard. For instance, the Global Initiative for Emirati Youth, overseen by the Federal Youth Foundation, was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in August 2018 during a youth forum titled “The Role of Emirati Youth Globally,” held at the Zayed Council at Al Bahr Palace in Abu Dhabi, organized by the foundation in celebration of International Youth Day, which occurs on August 12 each year.
Additionally, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the "Arab Geniuses" initiative in 2022, describing it as "the largest Arab movement led by the Museum of the Future." As a product of these objectives and the profound wisdom of our wise leadership, an impressive recent scientific achievement for the UAE: student Saif Hassan Ibrahim Karam from the Sharjah Model Secondary School won third place in the Chemistry Competition at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in Los Angeles, USA, ranking third among over 2,000 participants from 70 countries. There is no doubt that we are all proud in the UAE of our talented son Saif and his global scientific achievement, which we cherish and look forward to celebrating his return to our beloved UAE under the care of God.
It is worth mentioning that the ISEF is one of the most prominent global platforms for showcasing scientific and technological research from talented students worldwide. Student Saif Hassan Ibrahim, studying in the 11th grade at the Sharjah Model Secondary School, was awarded the title of "Young Emirati Scientist" during the seventh edition of the National Festival for Science, Technology, and Innovation organized by the Ministry of Education in February coinciding with Innovation Month for his project "Development of a Chemical Compound that Absorbs Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere and Converts It into Clean Fuel," under the supervision of chemistry teacher Ayat Tawfiq.
The innovation by Emirati student Saif Hassan Ibrahim in converting carbon dioxide into clean fuel reflects the UAE's commitment to innovation and sustainability in addressing global environmental challenges, as developing a chemical compound that helps reduce carbon emissions from the atmosphere is of utmost importance. With this talent, distinction, and brilliance, our son Saif joins the ranks of his notable peers:
- Physicist Ahmad Eid Al-Muheiri, one of the leading scientists in theoretical physics and the first Emirati to be accepted into postdoctoral studies at the Institute for Advanced Study in the USA, the foremost institution for theoretical physics research in the world at Princeton University. This institute was where the genius Einstein worked during the last twenty years of his life.
- Omran Anwar Sharaf, Project Director of the UAE Mars Mission.
- Student Khamis Al-Janibi, who won first place at the Global Mathematics Olympiad held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
Returning to the point: it is our duty—each of us, in our responsibilities and duties (family, school, university, relatives)—to convey the honorable civilized image of our country, its authentic values, rich Arab culture, ancient heritage, the morals of our people, and their customs and traditions to the world. Additionally, we aim to build bridges of human and cultural communication between our people and those looking to open up to others on various levels, for we live in a homeland with a broad and solid foundation of youth inspired by principles and values passed down from generation to generation.
