For the young residents of Qatar, an exciting journey has started. It will see them accompany the development of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ proposed host venues all the way through to completion, as well as in tournament mode and their legacy use thereafter. A total of 35 youngsters, all of them residents of Qatar and sharing a passion for contributing to the development of society, have been appointed to the Youth Panel, established by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC)'s Community Engagement programme.

The initiative allows the youngsters to take a closer look at all of the plans, programmes and progress being achieved as Qatar prepares for the 2022 FIFA World Cup ™. Each month the young men and women from a wide variety of nationalities will have the chance to interact with a different topic area, engage with the SC programme and give their opinions and feedback on the initiatives being undertaken.

Maha Bougnaim, a 21 year-old student from Qatar, said: "Development comes through the concerted efforts of all elements of society, and that is the role of the workshops which the SC have started. They will help us to think about the wider context of the World Cup in Qatar and how it applies to a whole range of different fields."

Twelve panel members had the privilege of attending the Al Rayyan Stadium launch last week. Maha Al Muraikhi of the Doha British School was particularly excited about seeing the new home of the club she has supported since childhood, and seeing some of the club players as well as hearing their stories. Each of the panelists attending the launch was given a special memento of the day; a seat number of the former stadium, as the preservation of Qatar's sporting heritage forms a central part of the SC's Community Engagement programme.

As part of their first meeting, the students discussed what it meant for them to be part of the tournament which will be coming to Qatar seven years from now. Vivian Fakhoury, a 16 year-old German resident of Qatar said that "small changes can achieve great results, and this is what we must do to convince people in Qatar and the world."

Meanwhile Mishaal Javed, from the UK, said the newly formed Youth Panel would become a platform to create innovative ideas: "I think we as young people can contribute to the development of ideas in Qatar", and it will be interesting to bring new ideas from everyone to contribute to this development." American student Garrett Visaya, 17, added: "If we show the world the extent of the diversity in Qatar, people around the world will realise that Qatar welcomes everyone and is open to visitors from all backgrounds and cultures."

Dana Saleh Hassan, 15, from Palestine believes that every person "leaves their mark on their work, and the diversity and plurality that is characteristic of Qatar is bound to have a positive impact on this World Cup in Qatar."

A second workshop was held at the Al Wakrah Stadium, where the Youth Panel was welcomed by the SC technical team and given a presentation and overview of the plans for the site, both during tournament mode and in the legacy use thereafter. The group also met workers on the construction site and visited their catering facilities, as well as going on a guided tour of the future home of Al Wakrah Sports Club.