In this file photo, Education Minister Azzam Al-Dakhil converses with students and officials at Prince Sultan Education Center in Riyadh after launching a mobile scientific center. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has stressed that it is vital to prepare for the youth for intense competition in the global arena. (SPA)

Educated and technology literate youth are vital for the economic growth of the country, according to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal at the opening of the ‘Muslim Youth and New Media’ conference on Wednesday in the holy city, the king said that young people were the real wealth of nations.

He said it was vital to prepare for intense competition in the global arena if the country was to succeed. The development of a knowledge economy is critically important in this regard, he said.

The conference is the 16th such event organized by the Muslim World League (MWL) in the holy city, and is being held at its headquarters.

In his address, Prince Khaled said that Muslim nations must ensure that their young people are educated in science and technology, so that they can regain the leadership positions they held in the past.

Prince Khaled said new media would play a vital role, just as traditional media has done over the years, to shape the views of young people because they are the primary users of these platforms.

Abdul Hai Azab Abdul Aal, president of Al-Azhar University, thanked the king for supporting the event. He said the moderate approach in Islam ensures that young people are treated with kindness.

Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki, secretary general of the MWL, said that the Kingdom was making efforts to ensure that new media players operate in line with the country’s culture. However, the Kingdom must do everything it can to benefit from it, he said.