2022-09-21

The Arab Youth Survey findings are presented under six distinct themes: My Identity, My Livelihood, My Politics, My Global Citizenship, My Lifestyle, and My Aspirations.

 

:::MY IDENTITY:::

Religion is central to the personal identity of young Arabs; yet they want religious institutions to reform

A majority of young Arabs, outside the GCC, say Arabic language is less important to them than their parents

Nearly three quarters of young Arabs are concerned about the loss of traditional values and culture

Most young Arabs say preserving their religious and cultural identity is more important than creating a more globalised society

A majority of young Arabs say the laws in their country should be based on Shariah

 

:::MY LIVELIHOOD:::

Insights by Arab youth on the quality of education, lack of jobs, obstacles facing the region, their financial situation and the rise in entrepreneurial spirit

Young Arabs say rising cost of living and unemployment are the biggest obstacles facing the region

More than a third of young Arabs struggle to meet their basic expenses, rising to more than two-thirds in Levant 

One-fourth of young Arabs are in personal debt Student loans, car loans and healthcare bills are the top reasons

Half of Arab youth believe it would be difficult to find a job in their country

More young Arabs are interested in working for themselves

 

:::MY POLITICS:::

Perspectives of young Arabs on democracy, political stability, gender rights, and how they see government policies vis-à-vis their priorities

Overwhelming majority of young Arabs say promoting stability is more important than democracy

Two-thirds of young Arabs say their voice matters to their leadership

But less than half, except in the GCC, feel their governments have the right policies to address their issues 

 

:::MY GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP:::

Standpoints on foreign relations – which countries do they see as their nation’s allies and adversaries; and views on model nations – the country they like most to live in and their own nation to emulate

Nearly two-thirds of young Arabs say the UAE is the country they would most like to live in – a record

Young Arabs are drawn to the UAE for its growing economy and safe and secure environment

Among non-Arab nations, China is seen by most young Arabs as their nation’s ally followed by Turkey and Russia 

US continues to be seen as having the most influence in the Arab world 

The US and its NATO allies are seen as more responsible for the Ukraine war than Russia

 

:::MY LIFESTYLE:::

Attitudes of young Arabs towards social media, how they consume news, how they struggle to disconnect and its effects on their mental well-being, besides the growing popularity of online shopping

WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are the most commonly used social media platforms

TV, newspapers and online portals are seen as more trustworthy than social media or by influencers 

The number of young Arabs shopping online has nearly doubled in five years

 

:::MY ASPIRATIONS:::

Outlook on whether their country is moving in the right direction, their optimism about the future and their views on emigration

Young Arabs recorded the highest level of optimism in three years, that their best days lie ahead

Over half say their national economies is going in the wrong direction

Youth are most looking forward to finishing education and finding jobs but emigration is top of mind among many

Nearly half of young Arabs are actively trying to or considering emigrating to another country

Canada, Germany and the United States are the most popular destinations for prospective emigrants 

 

See the full report: https://bit.ly/3UsFLeD

Source: Asdaa BCW