The Arab world has to listen to the voice of its youth. This is the generation that will determine the future of the region as much in how it will be attained. The Arab youth is a factor that cannot be ignored or sidelined as their strength is in their numbers, aspirations and voice.
A survey on Arab youth, which has been recently carried out, reveals interesting results on how this particular generation perceives its environment as well as its opinion about the future. The significance of the results comes from the fact that this group represents an important percentage of the population in the Arab world. In addition, it is this segment that had an important role in countries that witnessed the Arab Spring. According to the survey, majority of Arab youth believe the future looks bright and there are positive possibilities for their respective countries. Almost 74 per cent of those surveyed believed that “our best days are ahead of us”. Such a majority was clearly visible in 15 countries of those surveyed.
Furthermore, the majority had expressed their pride in their Arab identity. Nine out of 10 Arab youth said they were “more proud to be an Arab” following the uprisings. In addition, two out of three said that they were “better off” after the Arab Spring. When asked about their most preferred country to live in and a model country, a staggering majority named the UAE as their choice. Almost a third of all those surveyed mentioned the country as being at the top and said that its model should be emulated.
Such a choice is not surprising. All Arab youth look towards fulfilling basic needs which include stability and consistency, finding fair and good opportunities and being able to attain what they aspire for. Hence, it is critical that the dreams of the youth are addressed. They can be a constructive and a positive force if and when their voice is heard.
