Before History Writes His Name: The Story of Mohammad Owais, an 18-Year-Old Palestinian Visionary Leader Turning Missions Into Institutions and Vision Into Opportunity

JERUSALEM / AMMAN — At just 18 years old, Mohammad Owais has already established an impressive record of academic achievement, international engagement, entrepreneurship, and institutional leadership. Originally from Jerusalem, the young Palestinian leader represents a generation increasingly determined to challenge the expectations traditionally associated with age and experience. Educated at La Salle College des Frères in Jerusalem, where he demonstrated outstanding academic performance, Owais continued his higher education at Princess Sumaya University for Technology in Jordan, pursuing Electrical Power and Energy Engineering. His journey, however, extends considerably beyond academic distinction. Through years of leadership experience, international participation, and institutional development, he has demonstrated an unusual willingness to assume responsibilities, pursue ambitious initiatives, and create opportunities that reach beyond his own advancement.

Among the most memorable chapters of his early journey were his experiences at AMMUN 2023 and 2024, where his dedication and determination drew the attention of members of the Jordanian Royal Family. During a period of exceptional regional instability, Owais overcame considerable difficulties to travel from Jerusalem and participate as the only Palestinian delegate able to attend. His presence received a special honorary welcome from Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, recognizing the significance of his participation under such challenging circumstances. In a particularly distinguished moment, His Royal Highness Prince Rashid bin El Hassan personally presented Owais with a plaque that had initially been awarded to the Prince by the AMMUN Secretariat, remarking that Owais was more deserving of the recognition. The gesture marked an extraordinary moment in the young leader’s early development, symbolizing recognition not merely of participation, but of determination, perseverance, and exceptional commitment. Building upon these experiences, Owais later established LASMUN, serving as its Founder and Secretary-General, further demonstrating his ability to transform leadership experience into initiatives of his own.

His ambitions soon extended beyond the region. In 2024, Owais was awarded a fully funded scholarship supported by the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs to participate in the EducationUSA Academy at Temple University in Philadelphia, United States. The opportunity provided international academic exposure, cross-cultural engagement, and insight into American higher education, contributing to his growing international outlook. His achievements also reached the field of entrepreneurship through INJAZ Palestine, where he served as Marketing and Public Relations Manager of WealthMap, an artificial intelligence-based financial literacy initiative that earned national runner-up recognition in the 2025 INJAZ Palestine competition. His continued involvement with the organization subsequently led to a position as Director of Fundraising on the INJAZ Palestine Alumni Board, expanding his experience in organizational development, youth entrepreneurship, and strategic engagement. These milestones reflect a young leader whose abilities extend across disciplines, combining academic excellence with practical experience and an international perspective.

Perhaps the most ambitious expression of Owais’s institutional vision emerged in September 2025, when he co-founded RUYA Center alongside Hamza Falah. Established as an independent youth-led initiative dedicated to leadership, diplomacy, education, and international cooperation, RUYA Center was conceived with aspirations extending far beyond conventional student organizations. As Co-Founder and President of the Board of Trustees, Owais oversees the institution’s strategic direction, governance, and long-term development. Hamza Falah, his fellow Co-Founder, has been equally fundamental to the establishment of the Center, contributing to its organizational foundations, institutional identity, and development. Together, the two founders have pursued the creation of a sustainable institution capable of bringing together ambitious young individuals, fostering international connections, and creating opportunities that extend beyond individual conferences or temporary initiatives. Their partnership reflects a shared understanding that meaningful leadership involves more than occupying positions of responsibility; it requires establishing institutions capable of serving generations beyond their founders.

Central to RUYA Center’s expanding vision is RUYAMUN, its flagship international youth diplomacy and leadership program. Through its 2026 conferences in Jerusalem and Amman, RUYAMUN has developed platforms through which young participants engage in diplomatic negotiations, international dialogue, and discussions addressing complex global challenges. Distinguished by its emphasis on institutional development and long-term ambition, the program seeks to move beyond conventional conference experiences toward a broader model of youth empowerment and international engagement. RUYA Center’s growing network also includes Omar Abu Ghoush, Co-Founder of the educational technology company Eternity and the youngest Arab to address the United Nations, having spoken before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Omar serves as Special Envoy to the United Nations within the RUYAMUN Program, and Owais now counts him as a member of his board of directors. His involvement contributes to the program’s international outlook as RUYA Center continues exploring opportunities to strengthen relationships with educational institutions, international organizations, and youth leadership networks. Under the founding vision of Owais and Falah, RUYA Center is pursuing an increasingly ambitious institutional identity, positioning education, diplomacy, innovation, and global cooperation at the heart of its development.

Beyond his formal achievements, Owais’s emerging professional identity is shaped by an extensive range of interests spanning technology, international affairs, sustainable development, entrepreneurship, and institutional governance. His multilingual abilities, scientific academic background, and practical leadership experience reflect a multidisciplinary approach to contemporary challenges. Through engagement with international educational initiatives, entrepreneurial programs, and opportunities involving global organizations, he has steadily developed experience that crosses traditional academic and professional boundaries. Equally significant is his commitment to the responsibilities that operate behind the public image of leadership: managing teams, establishing organizational structures, overseeing strategic decisions, and maintaining the institutional discipline necessary for long-term development. At an age when many are only beginning to explore their professional direction, Owais has already taken on the demanding task of developing initiatives intended to create opportunities for others. His record reflects a combination of ambition and responsibility, with institutional sustainability and collective progress occupying a central place in his work.

At just 18, Mohammad Owais stands at the beginning of a journey already distinguished by experiences that extend across borders, disciplines, and institutions. From royal recognition in Jordan and an international academic experience in the United States to entrepreneurial achievements, founding leadership at LASMUN, and the establishment of RUYA Center, his path reflects a determination to pursue opportunities while creating new ones for those around him. Alongside Hamza Falah, he continues to develop an institutional vision through RUYA Center and RUYAMUN that extends well beyond individual recognition, with ambitions centered on education, diplomacy, leadership, and international cooperation. Although the full significance of his work will be determined by what follows, the foundations of an ambitious career are already evident. Before history writes his name, Mohammad Owais is building a future in which his greatest achievement may not be what he accomplishes for himself, but what he makes possible for generations to come.