Social developments must bridge gap between regimes and citizens

Dubai: Economic and social developments in the Arab world have to be accompanied by serious efforts to bridge the big gap between the regime in power and the so-called 'Arab street.'

That was the view of a group of panelists during a session of the three-day Arab Strategy Forum in Dubai on the 'Degrees of separation: Towards inclusiveness in the Arab world.'

Speakers said there was no choice but to embrace freedom of expression in a globalised world experiencing the free flow of information and ideas. How one goes about building a more inclusive society depends on the priorities of each state.

"Socio-economic development can in no way be successful without success at the political level," said Anwar Gargash, UAE's minister of state for Federal National Council Affairs.

"We need to act on political development. And in that regard the UAE is taking small steps towards political reform. The UAE election is a small step but not a perfect one. Any step should be well calculated in the light of ideologies around us. Quick or rapid steps might have negative consequences."

Citing Saudi Arabia as an example, Prince Faisal bin Salman Al Saud, chairman of the board of the Saudi Research and Publishing Company, said that not only is there a gap between the public and the private sector, which is gradually being bridged with increasing collaborative efforts between the two, but there is also a big gap between generations.

"Twenty per cent of Saudi Arabia's population is under the age of 20," he said, and "it is important to understand what their aspirations and vision of the future are. Are they less ideological in their approach to various issues? Are they going to be more rational or more passionate with regard to political issues?"Reminding the audience that all is not well in many of the Arab states where there is political stagnation, with oppressive regimes in power for prolonged periods, Saad Eddin Ebrahim, director of Egypt's Ibn Khaldun Centre for development Studies, Egypt, said there is a change coming from within the society-from businessmen, from young men and women and from bloggers who are voicing their opinion and "we should welcome this change."

Pointing to the fact that 60 per cent of the population in the UAE is under 30, he said there is dynamism, and he feels is bringing about the changes in the political sphere alongside the dramatic economic and social development for the country.

With the exception of Gulf countries, most regimes in the Arab world, have failed their citizens, said Amr Hamzawy. "Rulers have no social programs for their citizens," he said.