Illustration by Batool Al Tameemi

Anyone who has spent months working on their college applications and hustling through their numerous requirements knows just how important extracurricular activities can be in making or breaking an application. For many universities, seeing a student involved in Model United Nations is often a good showcase of a student's academic skills, as they demonstrate an ability to think, imagine, and create solutions that aim to address current global challenges. Developing these skills, combined with the overall recognition an MUN certificate brings, is highly valued by universities and institutions. With that being said, for a university that prides itself on global citizenship and diplomacy, why hasn’t NYUAD hosted its own?

That was the question the MUN club at NYUAD wanted to figure out, and namely, fix.

“As one of the best social science universities in the region, we were shocked that NYU Abu Dhabi had yet to host its own Model United Nations”, said Salma BinBelaila, the Under Secretary General of External Outreach for the event.

While there has been a history of MUN involvement in the community, it mostly revolved around members attending conferences from other universities rather than leading one. That gap was what the MUN team set out to fill. “With our love and passion for diplomacy and the fact that these opportunities are not provided for the students here, we decided we’d like to take the first step to host a MUN”, Salma explained.

On Nov. 1, 2025, that vision came to life. New York University Model United Nations officially made history as NYUAD’s first-hosted MUN. The two-day conference welcomed over 100 delegates from 13 high schools across the region. The event focused on the pressing global issues of three committees: SPECPOL, ECOSOC, and UNOOSA.

“When I was assigned as the delegate of Venezuela, I honestly panicked because there were a lot of economic issues regarding the country”, said Geandrei Pablo, student of The Philippine Global School, awarded as Best Orator for SPECPOL. He voiced his anxiety before starting the conference, conveying what a lot of delegates often experience when competing in such events. But like many, he found the confidence to continue delivering impactful speeches.

“NYUMUN taught me to always believe in myself and my capabilities, that as students, we should never be afraid to use our voices, because no matter how bad you think the situation is, we all have the voice to speak up and change”, said Geandrei.

Behind the Scenes

“It was Sept. 20 when we came up with this idea. I recall our first meeting, they basically told us it was impossible”, said Salma. Before preparation had even started, the team was given a discouraging truth: they just had one month to plan, organize, and make the event possible. Salma, who had been in charge of handling, emailing, and contacting external communication, voiced out the team’s distress from being told it would be challenging, if not impossible. From structuring logistics, advertising, sponsorships, and delegate registration, everything needed to be built from scratch. “We were discouraged at first, but we wanted to make it happen,” she said. “We came back into the room and told them we were ready to take on the challenge.” The time constraint caused a lot of late-night meetings, endless emails, and moments that pushed the members to consider backing down. “It was constant stress,” Salma emphasized.

Amid these challenging times, what kept the team intact and hopeful was the club’s head of operations, the Secretary General, Aljood AlBlooshi, the pioneer of the vision and the driving force that pushed the team to continue challenging what seemed impossible. “If it weren't for Aljood, we wouldn’t have even tried. But she believed in us, so we believed in ourselves,” said Salma.

The Future of NYUADMUN

“If NYU chooses to host another one, I would definitely recommend it because this experience was really unique and organized well”, said Geandrei.

Following the good feedback and heartfelt messages the team had received from the participants, the future of NYUADMUN looks bright. “This is just the beginning; we hope to make it something bigger than it already is”, said Salma. The goal is to make NYUMUN an annual tradition, potentially expanding to include university students in the coming years.