Generation 2030 is a French-Saudi association established to encourage talented youth in France and Saudi Arabia to build social and cultural bridges between both nations. It does this by bringing together youths from numerous backgrounds to partake in various events and programs, while facilitating the sharing of ideas, projects, and experiences for the benefit of young talents.
The events that run at Generation 2030 include "Our Alchemies," which serves as a regular meeting where youths can interact in a "casual after-work" format, with cooperation usually on focus. Another is the Generation 2030 Forum, an annual forum featuring youth who have worked on bilateral cooperation projects. These are just some examples of events, programs, partnerships and collaborations offered by the association.
Essentially, Generation 2030 touches on two main themes: Arts & Culture, which includes arts, gastronomy, fashion and design, music, and visual arts; and economy and society, which includes academics, entrepreneurship, innovation and tech, and sports.
Founded in 2019, Generation 2030’s concept actually dates back to 2015 when two friends, Yousef Al-Hammad from Saudi Arabia and Timothee Dufour from France agreed that both nations' youth had many ideas to share with each other. With Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 touching on youth empowerment, both Al-Hammad and Dufour seized the opportunity and made their vision into reality.
"The idea is that young people are the future, and that they each participate in their own way in the development of the bilateral relationship. [...] Inspiring talent profiles, having a real impact on their community, are highlighted on our social networks through articles, videos, and podcasts," Dufour explained in a recent Arab News article.
Presently, Dufour is the current Executive Director of Generation 2030, along with Chairwoman Soha Alharbi, who has had experience with managing activities of Saudi students in France.
