Brookings Doha Center Inaugural Essay Contest Winners

The Brookings Doha Center is pleased to announce the winners of its inaugural essay contest. Maryam al Subaiey of Doha, Qatar, received the top prize of $3,000 for her essay Qatarization Policy - Implementation Challenges, which focuses on the economic challenges and opportunities facing Qatar through the lens of Qatarization, the national policy that aims to develop Qatar's national labor force. Al-Subaiey, a graduate of University of Essex and a master's degree holder from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), wrote that Qatarization "should not be designed as a convenient solution to correct the imbalance of the labor structure, but should also be aimed directly towards developing the national workforce skills."

Open to Arab citizens between 21 and 30, the contest asked the following question: What do you consider the most important political, economic, or social change that would create a better life for your country's citizens?  By providing a forum for young people to analyze the challenges and opportunities facing their home country, the Brookings Doha Center invited a generation of young Arab thinkers to present their original, innovative ideas and unique perspectives.

The runner-up winner was Ghanimah Hatem Al-Otaibi of Kuwait, whose essay, Kuwait: Taxing the Way to a Better Democracy, addresses the detrimental effects of the country's welfare system on broader Kuwaiti society. Khalid al-Kubaisi of Doha, Qatar, was awarded an honorable mention for his essay, "The Role of Media in Qatar's Development", which argues that Qatar's media restrictions impede the country's broader educational, economic and political ambitions.

The winners were chosen from a pool of essays representing nearly every Arab country. Brookings Doha Center Director Salman Shaikh said, "We were pleased, but not surprised, to receive so many essays on such a wide variety of topics. We could only pick three winners, but the quality of entrants was incredibly high and the participants displayed a keen sense of awareness and analysis. The enthusiastic response to our contest adds further emphasis to the fact that Arab youth recognize the challenges in their societies and are eager to contribute toward a better future."

The Brookings Doha Center plans on establishing the essay contest as an annual event, with the hopes of identifying and providing future talent in the region with a platform to share their ideas. For any questions or comments please email the Brookings Doha Center at DohaCenter@brookings.edu.