7th annual Arab Youth Survey launched

Dubai: The UAE remains the top country that most Arab youth would like to live in, the seventh annual Arab Youth survey found for the fourth year running.

The Arab youth surveyed also said they see the UAE as a model country that they would like their countries to emulate.

The results of the ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey were revealed on Tuesday during a press conference held in Dubai.

The survey, which was conducted on 3,500 Arab youth aged 18 to 24 from 16 countries by Penn Schoen Berland, aims to understand the Arab world’s dynamics through the eyes of its youth.

When asked to name a country anywhere in the world where they would like to live, Arab youth, who took part in the survey, chose the UAE as their top choice for the fourth year running ahead of 20 other countries.

The United States came in second by 15 per cent. Germany and Canada followed at 10 per cent.

Likewise, when asked to think about which country they would like to emulate the most, almost a quarter (22 per cent) consider the UAE a model nation, followed by the United States (15 per cent), Germany (11 per cent), Canada (8 per cent) and France (8 per cent).

The UAE was the only Arab country in the top five choices identified by Arab youth.

The report attributed the popularity of the UAE to the country’s strong economic outlook and status as a safe haven.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the economy of the UAE is also expected to grow 3.5 per cent in 2015 and 2016 in spite of falling oil prices.

The report also noted that the UAE is known as a country where young Arabs are encouraged to reach their full potential across a broad spectrum of industries from technology start-ups to the arts and finance, in a culture they are familiar with.

Unemployment: a major concern among Arab youth

Concern about unemployment continues to weigh heavily on Arab youth, with almost one in three (29 per cent) citing it as the biggest obstacle facing the region.

When asked to comment on how concerned they are about unemployment, the majority (81 per cent) say they are “concerned”.

The issue is particularly worrying for youth in non-GCC countries where 84 per cent are concerned, compared with 73 per cent in the six GCC states.

Only one in three (33 per cent) of youth outside the GCC is confident in their government’s ability to tackle the issue of unemployment, a significant difference compared to the GCC at 68 per cent.

The report read, “High unemployment rates continue to be a pressing concern for the region as its youth population grows. Overall unemployment rates differ significantly across the region from as low as 11 per cent in Kuwait to over 30 per cent in Morocco, according to United Nations data.”

Meanwhile the Middle East and North Africa needs to create 80-100 million jobs by 2020 to maintain its current unemployment rates, according to the World Bank.

Starting their own business

The survey saw positive trends when it came to youth’s desire to start their own business.

Nearly two in five (39 per cent) young Arabs are looking to start a business within the next five years, with technology and retail being the most popular sectors.

When asked to suggest what national governments should do to further encourage entrepreneurship, one third (32 per cent) say they should encourage affordable lending. They cite improving available training and education (26 per cent) as the second most pressing measure followed by reducing regulation and red tape (19 per cent).