Yahoo News 
Arab youths speak out on issues close to their hearts in major survey
The findings of a major survey into the opinions of Arab youngsters on a range of topics shaping their future and their home region have been revealed, with
more than half saying they considered civil unrest to be the biggest obstacle facing the Middle East.
The sixth annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey, unveiled in Dubai on Monday, included interviews with 3,500 men and women aged 18 to 24 from 16 countries in the Arab world. The youngsters were quizzed on issues ranging from money and security to arts and media.
As well as the UAE, the survey also included young people from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Algeria and Iraq, alongside those from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen and Palestine.
Results showed that young people in both GCC and non-GCC countries were equally concerned about civil unrest, with 55 per cent of respondents from both areas citing it as an issue that could hinder the region’s progress.
The survey also revealed that young people in the Arab world are starting to lose confidence in the positive outcomes of the Arab Spring.
“Young people are starting to ask questions about what the Arab Spring has brought to the region,” said ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller CEO Sunil John. “Are they personally better off? Is the region better off? They are starting to question things.”
Results showed 54 per cent of respondents surveyed this year strongly feel that the Arab world is better off as a result of the uprisings, a decrease from 70 per cent last year.
Confidence in the long-term impact of the Arab Spring also dropped significantly, with just 58 per cent of those surveyed believing that they will be better off in five years as a result of the uprising, compared with 74 per cent last year.
The UAE topped a number of categories in this year’s annual survey. Almost 40 per cent of young Arabs across the region chose the UAE as the country in which they would most like to live, as well the country that they would most like their country to emulate.
The UAE was up against 20 other countries from around the world, including the United States, France, and Saudi Arabia.
The popularity of the UAE is a reflection of the country’s strong economic outlook and status as a safe haven amid the regional political turmoil, said John.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, expressed his happiness that the UAE has been chosen by young Arabs as a model country for the region to follow.
“When asked which country they would like to live in, Arab youth put the UAE first,” he tweeted. “I have strong faith in the great potential of our Arab youth, and their ability to one day transform the future of this region.”
reem@7days.ae
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