The Middle East Youth Summit returns for its seventh edition and this time presents a sincere fully funded track for young Muslims from around the world. The organization Youth Break the Boundaries (YBB) will conduct a program for delegates in Makkah, Saudi Arabia from 22 to 25 March 2027. The program’s theme is “Empowering Emerging Leaders for Positive Change within the Islamic Brotherhood.”
Consider attending this summit if you are a young Muslim seeking international networking opportunities and a journey that combines personal and genuine spiritual development. One thing that makes it stand out from most fully funded programs abroad is that it does not ask for an IELTS or TOEFL score. So it means applicants who have never taken an English proficiency test still stand a fair chance. YBB summit has been attended by over 17,000 youth from over 130 countries across editions, which offers a sense of the scale of this network as YBB launched the summit.
What Exactly Is MEYS?
MEYS isn’t a degree course, nor is it an academic scholarship. It is a leadership and cultural exchange program. The program brings young Muslims from across the world, from different cultural and study backgrounds together for a short intensive summit for training on leadership and working together across societies.
The phrase “Together for Ummah” has been with the program since its first edition and is indicative of the theme that focuses on bringing together young Muslims across the globe. As the summit heads into its seventh year, it increases its footprint both in the countries that comprise it and the causes it addresses.
Where and When: MEYS 2027 Details
The seventh edition will be held in Makkah from March 22 through March 25, 2027. By hosting the summit in one of the holiest cities of Islam, the experience will offer a layer that most leadership programs cannot provide, as delegates will have the ability to combine practical training with a personal relationship.
This year’s theme attempts to move everyone beyond talking and into action. Participants will be asked to build workable solutions for problems that their own communities are actually facing. They can no longer think of leadership as just a theoretical exercise.
The SDG Symposium and Group Projects
A key element of the MEYS experience is the International Symposium and Social Project on Muslim Community Development. Delegates are divided into multicultural teams of five to seven people and must design a social project linked to one of the four United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
- SDG 4 – Quality Education
- SDG 5 – Gender Equality
- SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals
Each team conducts research on their own topic and then presents the final project before the entire summit. Along the way, delegates build real skills in things like public speaking, leadership, cross-cultural teamwork, and problem solving. These skills transfer well whether someone goes on to further studies or builds a career.
How the Fully Funded Selection Works
On 1st September 2026, YBB opened the Fully Funded track for MEYS 2027 along with the announcement of the Summit. The registration will be open until 10th November 2026. The selection process will happen in 5 stages.
- Filling and submitting the application form and supporting documents.
- Producing and posting an essay.
- The organizing committee will review the essay.
- Attending an Interview after Shortlisting
- Waiting on the final list of confirmed Fully Funded delegates
What the Essay Needs to Cover
The essay prompt asks: “How can young Muslim leaders turn community challenges into opportunities for sustainable development?” It has to be written in English, stay under 800 words, and build around one of the four SDG focus areas connected to a genuine issue from the applicant’s own community. Reviewers are not looking for polished but generic answers; a specific, well-organized essay grounded in real personal experience is what typically gets candidates through to the interview stage.
What a Fully Funded Delegate Actually Gets
Once someone clears the entire selection process and is confirmed as a Fully Funded delegate, the benefits package includes:
- Four days and three nights of hotel accommodation
- Three meals a day for the full stay
- Airport pickup and on-ground assistance
- A hotel booking confirmation for visa purposes
- An official invitation letter
- Support with registration and hotel check-in
- A group Umrah experience
- Full access to the international conference and its panel sessions
- A spot in the SDG group project competition
- A guided tour of Islamic historical sites
- International networking with delegates from dozens of countries
- A certificate of participation
- A shot at international awards and formal recognition
- Exposure through the summit’s media and social channels
One thing worth flagging clearly: airfare, the Saudi visa fee, and other personal spending are not part of the Fully Funded package. Every delegate needs to budget for those separately well before the trip.
Who Can Apply: Eligibility for MEYS 2027
To qualify for MEYS 2027, applicants need to meet these conditions:
- Be between 15 and 40 years old
- Come from any nationality or educational background
- Have no IELTS or TOEFL requirement to worry about
- Carry no criminal conviction
- Have no ties to any extremist organization
- Be ready to go through every stage of the Fully Funded selection process
- Be willing to follow program rules and attend the entire summit if chosen
The absence of a language test is what really opens this program up. Combined with the wide age bracket and open nationality policy, it explains why MEYS pulls in such a large applicant pool every cycle, with past editions drawing candidates from more than 130 countries.
Open eligibility programs like this tend to draw applicants from all over. You may also want to check the Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme 2027/2028, a fully EU funded scholarship route in Türkiye.
The Application Process, Step by Step
Applying for MEYS 2027 comes down to three main actions:
- Study the official registration guideline first, so nothing in the required documents catches you off guard later
- Post the official Twibbon tied to the seventh edition to show your support publicly
- Submit your registration through the official Middle East Youth Summit website, matching every uploaded document exactly to what the guideline specifies
🔗 Official Guideline: Read the official MEYS 2027 registration guideline
🔗 Official Registration: Register on the official Middle East Youth Summit website
Because Fully Funded spots are limited and competition is real, starting your documents and essay early gives you a real edge over applicants who rush things close to the deadline.
Getting a head start on your documents is always smart. You may also want to check the Whetstone Scholarship, a dedicated fully funded route for Appalachian Ohio students pursuing their education.
Selection Timeline You Should Save
| Stage | Dates |
|---|---|
| Fully Funded Registration | September 1 – November 10, 2026 |
| Interview Candidate Announcement | December 25 – 31, 2026 |
| Interview Period | January 1 – 10, 2027 |
| Final Fully Funded Announcement | January 11 – 20, 2027 |
| Mentoring Sessions | January 1 – March 20, 2027 |
| MEYS 2027 Summit | March 22 – 25, 2027 |
Notice the gap between the final announcement and the summit itself. That stretch of mentoring sessions exists so delegates arrive in Makkah with their SDG project already in solid shape rather than scrambling at the last minute.
Does MEYS Count as a Degree Program?
No, it does not. MEYS is a short leadership summit, closer in structure to a youth conference than to a semester of formal study, and it will not hand you an academic qualification. For anyone chasing an actual degree on scholarship, whether in Saudi Arabia or somewhere else, treat MEYS as a strong addition to a longer academic plan rather than a replacement for one. Students without IELTS or TOEFL scores who still want degree level options have other established routes worth researching separately, and long term fully funded master’s programs remain available for those with a longer time horizon in mind.
Looking for a longer-term, degree-level route instead? You may also want to check the Czech Government Scholarships 2027/2028, a fully funded degree route with no IELTS/TOEFL requirement.
About Youth Break the Boundaries
Youth Break the Boundaries (YBB) is the international youth organization of MEYS and is aimed at developing young leaders through structured programmes across borders. Besides MEYS, YBB also runs the Japan Youth Summit, Korea Youth Summit, World Youth Festival, Youth Academic Forum and Youth Leader Camp. Across its programmes, YBB has now built a global alumni community of over 7000 changemakers from 60 countries, giving delegates a network that continues to work long after the closing ceremony ends.
Final Thoughts
MEYS 2027 pairs a fully funded international leadership experience with one of the most spiritually significant settings on earth. With no language test requirement and a benefits package that includes accommodation and international networking, this is one of the easier fully funded programs available to young Muslim leaders. Just keep in mind that airfare and personal expenses are not funded, so plan your budget a little early, and get your essay done well ahead of the November 10, 2026 deadlines.
Planning your budget around unfunded costs? It’s also worth staying on top of the Education Department’s student loan rules appeal, which covers what public service borrowers need to know in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What, simply put, is the Middle East Youth Summit?
The International Leadership Summit is an initiative by Youth Break the Boundaries that brings together young Muslims from across the globe to develop leadership capacities and carry out community-oriented SDG projects.
Where is the 2027 edition, and how long does it go for?
The events of the seventh edition will take place for four consecutive days commencing on March 22 and ending on March 25, 2027, in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
What are the minimum requirements to be eligible for the Fully Funded track?
To be eligible you must be a Muslim with age in the range of 15-40 years from any country & education background. You must have no criminal record. Also, you must not be linked to any extremist group.
What should the focus of my application essay be?
Keep your response in English, up to 800 words, and answer how young Muslim leaders can turn the challenges of the community into opportunities of sustainable development. Choose one of the four SDG areas and use an example from your own community, rather than an abstract one. Ensure you link it to a real issue.
When does registration close, and when will I know if I’m in?
The Fully Funded track will be open from 01 September – 10 November 2026. Interview announcements will take place late December 2026. The final confirmed delegates list will be revealed between 11 – 20 January 2027.
Will this summit help me later apply for an actual scholarship or degree program?
Due to MEYS not giving academic credit any academic degree will not be obtained.