Dubai: Adverse social effects on Arab youth in the Middle East will require relevant, far-reaching reforms by governments, educators and private sector to meet demands for a stable future, said panelists at the release of Arab Youth Survey 2017 on Wednesday.

Lower oil prices, overreliance on government, diminished optimism for the future and extremism will challenge Arab countries’ abilities to adapt, said panelists who shared frank reactions to latest polling results at the roll-out of the Arab Youth Survey 2017 by Asda’a Burson-Marsteller in Dubai.

Action is needed, panelists said, to address a 30 per cent regional unemployment rate for young Arabs — the highest rate in the world.

The panel also pointed out concerns that survey findings that show 54 per cent of Arab youth respondents now use English more than Arabic, which further complicates efforts to preserve Arabic culture and traditions in a period of fast-paced change in a digital world.

Panelist Roy Haddad, director of WPP Mena, said he is concerned that high jobless rates, little hope for the future by less-prosperous corners of the region and Daesh recruitment efforts are a “perfect storm” that needs to be addressed now, not later.

“I’m still very concerned,” Haddad said. “Radicals feed on our identity … when you look at unemployment and low optimism, I would be very cautious about the future.”

Panelist Fadi Ghandour, cofounder and executive chairman of Wamda, said he isn’t taking the alarmist view. He takes the position that countries such as the UAE protects its citizens from extremism.

“I don’t see Daesh walking down the street in Oman … in Beirut or in Downtown Dubai. I don’t like its ideology, it is worrying, but the state protects us from Daesh,” Ghandour said.

Mohammad Al Abbar, founder and chairman of Dubai’s real estate master developer Emaar, said he believes that a big share of the problems ahead can be met through better education both in schools and to a larger degree by parents in the home.

Al Abbar said education must meet the new digital age where “it’s amazing how much information they [youth ] can pull” from the internet in search of knowledge.

He also said that the quality of public schools must improve because not everyone can afford the high price of private education in the region.

Haddad agreed, noting that in Jordan, “public schools are overwhelmed with new entrants this year because parents can no longer afford to provide education”.

Panelist Shaikha Hanadi Bint Nasser Al Thani said that for too long, the region has relied too heavily on government for all of society’s problems and solutions.

The private sector also has a role in creating new job growth.

Noting she was frustrated to watch the jobless situation grow over the years, Al Thani said, “It’s not only the government who will provide them with a job.”