The conference begins in
RCOY MENA 2026 is the official regional youth climate platform for the Middle East and North Africa within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), under the YOUNGO constituency.
Held in the Sultanate of Oman in conjunction with Oman Climate Week, the conference brings together young people from more than twenty countries and produces a policy paper and a regional youth statement that feed directly into the COP31 process.
The Journey
RCOY MENA did not start in Nizwa. It began in Dubai in 2022 and has moved across the region ever since — each edition handing the next a wider network and a sharper statement. Nizwa 2026 is the fifth stop on one unbroken line.
2022
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
RCOY MENA — the first edition, hosted alongside the World Green Economy Summit. 150+ young people from 22 nations.
2023
Egypt
Arab Republic of Egypt
RCOY MENA — the second edition, held in November 2023 with delegates from across the region.
2024
Amman
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
RCOY MENA — around 300 participants: youth, refugees and host communities, officials and climate experts.
2025
Salalah
Sultanate of Oman
Arab Youth Climate Action Forum (AYSCA) — 27–30 September, by Madad Development Foundation with the Environment Authority.
2026
Nizwa
Sultanate of Oman
RCOY MENA 2026 — 16–19 September at the Oman Across Ages Museum, in conjunction with Oman Climate Week.
Four countries have hosted itFive stops in a rowUnbroken since 2022
A room the region keeps coming back to.
Who gathers in Nizwa
From Mauritania in the west to Oman in the east, from Syria in the north to Somalia and the Comoros in the south — the region's delegates meet under one roof. Hover any country on the map to name it.
Participating countriesHost country — Sultanate of Oman
The Comoros appears in the list above; it sits outside the map frame, far to the south. Borders are drawn from public Natural Earth data and are illustrative only.
The Road to Antalya
RCOY MENA is not a standalone event. It sits inside the official UNFCCC youth process: local conferences feed regional ones, regional statements are merged into the Global Youth Statement, and that statement is handed to the COP Presidency before negotiations begin.
Throughout 2026
Young people meet in their own countries and draft National Youth Statements reflecting their national climate priorities.
16–19 September 2026 · Nizwa
Delegates consolidate national inputs into the MENA Regional Youth Statement and a regional policy paper.
You are hereEarly November 2026 · Antalya
Regional statements from every continent are merged into the Global Youth Statement, then presented to the COP Presidency and the UNFCCC Secretariat.
9–20 November 2026 · Antalya
Hosted by Türkiye with Australia leading the negotiations. What is written in Nizwa walks into the room with the negotiators.
Process as defined by the UNFCCC and the YOUNGO children & youth constituency · About COY · The Road to Antalya
Building climate resilience in the region’s most vulnerable communities and ecosystems.
Creating green jobs and driving innovation for an equitable low-carbon economy.
Unlocking climate finance and strengthening youth participation in decision-making.
RCOY MENA ’24
Opening plenary
Co-drafting regional youth policy positions.
A hands-on COP-style negotiation experience.
48 hours of building real climate solutions.
Showcasing youth-led projects from the region.
Skills, dialogue and regional exchange.
We did not gather to write another statement. We gathered because this region deserves to speak with one voice — and because the people who will live with every climate decision are the ones in this room.
The RCOY MENA organising teamNizwa · Sultanate of Oman · September 2026
Policymakers, negotiators, scientists and youth leaders from across MENA. The first cohort will be announced soon.
What the conference produces
RCOY MENA does not end with a closing ceremony. It ends with a document. Four days of plenaries and working groups are drafted into the MENA Regional Youth Statement and a regional policy paper, which then travel to Antalya inside the Global Youth Statement handed to the COP Presidency.
Published after the conferenceThe final text will be published here in Arabic and English as soon as it is adopted. For media enquiries or an advance copy: delegates@rcoymena.com
National inputs
Youth statements from each country arrive before the conference opens.
Four days in Nizwa
Plenaries and working groups turn those inputs into shared positions.
Statement & policy paper
Two documents, reviewed and adopted on the closing day.
On to Antalya
Merged into the Global Youth Statement and handed to the COP31 Presidency.
Stay in the loop
One short email when delegate registration opens, when speakers are announced, and when the MENA Regional Youth Statement is published. Nothing else.
The Place
We chose the Oman Across Ages Museum in Nizwa because the place itself tells the story: aflaj channels that have shared water fairly for centuries, and architecture that knows how to live inside its own climate. Sessions move between enclosed halls and open courtyards, and the breaks happen in the shade — the way majlis has always worked here.
16–19 September 2026Oman Across Ages MuseumNizwa · Ad Dakhiliyah
RCOY MENA 2026 takes place at the Oman Across Ages Museum in Nizwa, one of the Sultanate’s landmark cultural venues, in conjunction with Oman Climate Week.
Details on transport and accommodation are shared directly with confirmed participants.
Delegate Hub
Applications have closed and selected participants have been contacted directly. This page collects what delegates ask us most; full logistics arrive by email.
Getting here
The nearest international gateway is Muscat International Airport (MCT). Nizwa is roughly a 90-minute to two-hour drive on dual carriageway. Group transfers are arranged for confirmed delegates.
Entry & visas
Requirements vary by nationality and many are handled online through the Royal Oman Police eVisa portal. Check yours early and travel on a passport valid for at least six months.
Weather & dress
September in Ad Dakhiliyah is hot with long daylight. Pack light, modest cotton covering shoulders and knees, one layer for air-conditioned halls, plus a hat and water bottle for courtyard sessions.
Power & connectivity
Oman runs on 240V with the UK-style three-pin Type G plug. Mobile coverage in Nizwa is strong and visitor SIM cards are available at the airport.
Working languages
Sessions run in Arabic and English together and all conference outputs are published in both. Fluent English is not required to take part fully.
Access & requirements
Mobility, dietary or medical needs? Write to delegates@rcoymena.com early and we will arrange what you need before you arrive.
This is general preparation guidance, not travel or immigration advice. Always rely on the official Omani authorities, your own embassy, and the messages sent to you by the organising team.
Partnership & sponsorship enquiries: delegates@rcoymena.com
RCOY MENA is the official Regional Conference of Youth on Climate for the Middle East and North Africa, held under the UNFCCC process through the YOUNGO constituency — the region's formal youth voice on the road to COP31.
From 16 to 19 September 2026 at the Oman Across Ages Museum in Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman, in conjunction with Oman Climate Week.
The application round has closed. Selected participants are contacted directly by the organising team with confirmation and logistics details.
Four days of hackathon, plenaries and workshops culminate in a regional policy paper and the MENA youth statement, both feeding directly into the COP31 process.
For partnership, sponsorship or media enquiries, write to delegates@rcoymena.com — the team usually replies within two working days.
Partnership & sponsorship
We work with governments, companies and civil-society organisations that want a real presence among the region's climate youth — not a logo on a banner.
Talk to the partnerships team →For questions about the conference, partnership opportunities or media enquiries, contact the organising team — we usually reply within two working days.
