Bahrain: Arab Youth Survey Report 2015

Confidence part Arab youth that the Arab Spring would bring positive change across the region is declining and as a result they are uncertain whether democracy could ever work in the Middle East. This is the headline finding of the 7th Annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey released today.

- Arab youth see the rise of ISIS as the biggest obstacle facing the region
- Youth are keen to start their own business as concerns about unemployment continue
- The UAE remains the majority popular country to live in and emulate and Saudi Arabia is viewed as the region’s biggest ally
- A lot of view the Arabic language as central to their identity but believe it is losing its price to English

At the same time as asked whether they acknowledge or discord with the statement “Democracy will at no time work in the region,” 39 % of Arab youth acknowledge it will at no time work, 36 % think it could work while the remaining 25 % are unsure. Conflicting views on democracy are further highlighted at the same time as youth are asked to name the biggest obstacles facing the region with just 15 % citing “lack of democracy,” down from 38 % in 2014, 43 % in 2013 and 41 % in 2012. In 2011, “living in a democracy” was the majority significant desire for 92 % of Arab youth polled.

Similarly, confidence part youth that the Arab Spring would bring positive change across the region is declining. In 2015, just 38 % acknowledge that the Arab world is better off following the Arab Spring, compared to 54 % in 2014, 70 % in 2013, and 72 % in 2012.

Ironically, ninety-two % of the Arab youth polled in 2011 Arab Youth Survey said “living in democracy” was their most significant desire. However, just four years next the sweeping changes that some nations in the Arab world witnessed, during which a lot of young people protested, fought and died, Arab youth are conflicted about whether democracy will ever work in the Middle East.

In 2015, only 15 % of Arab youth cite lack of democracy as the biggest obstacle facing the region.

International polling firm Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) conducted 3,500 face-to-face interviews with exclusively Arab national men and women aged 18-24 in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain; Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Yemen. The interviews were conducted from January 20th to February 12th, 2015.

“The Arab Youth Survey is an annual initiative of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, the Middle East’s leading Public Relations consultancy. The seventh edition of the Survey was developed to provide reliable data and insights into the attitudes and aspirations of the region’s 200 million-strong youth people with the aim of informing policy and decision-making of both government and the private sector. The MENA market is known for its young demographic with 60 % of its people below the age of 25,” said Jeremy Galbraith, CEO of Burson-Marsteller Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Commenting on the survey, Jay Leveton, CEO of PSB, said: “We understand the price of evidence-based insights, in a region where research is often limited. The findings of our Survey provide public and private sector organisations with data and analysis to help them make additional informed decision-making and public policy formation.”

Sunil John, CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, said: “The ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey serves as a barometer not only of the ever-evolving aspirations of Arab youth but as well of the overarching social, political and economic trends that define the Arab world. Our approach to understand the Arab world’s incomparable dynamics through the eyes of its youth has as well made the Survey’s results relevant – and often the only authoritative referral source in the region.

“We hope that the findings of the Survey, which we share in the public domain as part of our social responsibility, will further add to the constructive dialogue about the hopes and aspirations of Arab youth,” John concluded.

Key findings of Arab Youth Survey Statement 2015:

The rise of ISIS is seen as the biggest obstacle facing the region and fewer than half of Arab youth are confident their national government can transaction with it. The rise of ISIS – as well known as Daesh, the self-proclaimed Islamic National of Iraq and Levant – is a major concern for Arab youth with nearly three in four (73 %) concerned with the extremist group’s growing influence and almost two in five (37 %) citing it as the biggest obstacle facing the region. At the same time, fewer than half (47 %) are confident their national government can transaction with this new threat.

As unemployment remains a major concern in the region, a lot of young Arabs are keen to start their own business. At the same time as asked to comment on how concerned they are about unemployment, the majority (81 %) say they are “concerned”. Regional governments, concerned about unemployment rates, are encouraging additional citizens to enter the private sector or establish their own businesses. The survey sees positive trends in this area. Nearly two in five (39 %) young Arabs are looking to start a business within the next five years, with technology and retail being the majority popular sectors.

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

While youth view the Arabic language as central to their national identity, a lot of believe it is losing its price and discuss additional in English. Three in four (73 %) acknowledge that the Arabic language is central to their identity meanwhile almost half (47 %) believe it is losing its price and one in three (34 %) discord. Significantly, 36 % of young Arabs use English additional than Arabic on a daily basis. The phenomenon is particularly prevalent in the GCC where 56 % say they use English additional than Arabic, versus 24 % in non-GCC nations.

The UAE remains the country that most Arab youth would like to live in and is seen as a model for their country to emulate for the fourth year running. At the same time as asked to name a country anywhere in the world where they would like to live, Arab youth cite the UAE as their top choice for the fourth year running ahead of 20 other nations, inclunding the United States, Germany and Canada.

Likewise, at the same time as asked to think about which country they would most like their home country to emulate, almost a quarter (22 %) consider the UAE as a model country, followed by the United States (15 %) and Germany (11 %), Canada and France as well feature in the top five (8 % each). The UAE is the only Arab country in the top five choices identified by Arab youth.

Saudi Arabia is seen as the top ally in the region, followed by the United States and the United Arab Emirates. At the same time as asked to think about their country’s biggest ally, Arab youth cite Saudi Arabia for the fourth year running. The US and the UAE are close second and third choices at 23 and 22 %, respectively.