Two sets of data released this week provide deep insight into the mindsets of the region’s young people.
As The National reported, Emirates Foundation researchers polled 6,600 Emiratis between the ages of 15 and 30 to produce a comprehensive portrait of the nation. Its results will be used to inform Government policy.
Among the findings, some of those young Emiratis questioned pointed to a difficulty in finding affordable housing and of generally rising prices, citing them as reasons for delaying marriage and starting a family.
Such issues have been taxing policy makers internationally for many years, because economic issues tend to bleed back into longer-term societal changes.
In the UK, France and Germany, the mean age for first marriage is over 30 years old and rising. That also means many couples are having children later and are probably delaying other major financial decisions. One action explains another consequence, and taken together they begin to explain why societies and economies are shifting.
The Emirates Foundation study also found that almost one in five young people felt under pressure. Given that your 20s is the decade when your peer group traditionally expects you to tick off certain life achievements, that figure might be viewed as relatively low.
The reality is, however, that this figure is an indicator that wellbeing and mental health issues are rising across the world and, thankfully, that there is now more acceptance and understanding of the difficulties they pose.
Nevertheless, governments everywhere will have to work harder to combat these issues. Doing so will affect everything from health insurance provision to better HR policies in the workplace and even the regular review of social media laws to tackle such curses as cyber-bullying.
Ending conflict and restoring stability are undoubtedly the key to engineering widespread prosperity
The survey also offered a snapshot of how young entrepreneurs think. At least a third said that securing funding for their new venture was difficult. That reflects an international trend, with small business owners often concerned about whether they have enough money to launch or sustain their idea. It’s impossible for governments to remove risk for entrepreneurs, but they can help by trimming unnecessary red tape and revising the legal framework to make it easier for entrepreneurs to start or continue their journeys.
The broader question is how much governments should react to these data releases and how much should they trust its long-term planning and structures to address these issues?
Last week, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced the introduction of a new portfolio, the Ministry of Possibilities. The ministry will assess the effectiveness of the Government and identify areas of improvement.
Its introduction is the latest addition to a collection of new ministries, including youth, happiness, tolerance and AI. This is smart government - mixing strategic vision with short-term intervention - as it adds boutique portfolios to a broader economic and societal vision, grounded in education, healthcare provision and prosperity.
The concerns of young people in this country are mirrored, to some degree, by the Arab Youth Survey, which takes the temperature of the entire Middle East.
The region continues to recognise the UAE as a beacon of hope in a region where conflict is all too common. Dubai, in particular, and the UAE in general has become the place where young Arabs see their futures, replacing Baghdad, Cairo and Damascus as the new magnetic force for people and projects. It's not hard to understand why, given the Government's concentration on education, wellbeing and prosperity.
Otherwise, there are few surprises in the top-line findings: regionally, young people are concerned by a lack of employment opportunities, by enduring conflicts and by the rising cost of living.
The threat of ISIS, a major concern for young people between 2015 and 2017, had subsided as a worry in the most recent survey, reflecting the group's loss of territory. The apparent re-emergence of Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi this week may change that perception in the next survey.
Ending conflict and restoring stability are undoubtedly the key to engineering widespread prosperity in the Middle East, but if the region is to achieve that, it is clear that it must do so without US intervention. The global superpower is generally a more withdrawn player than it used to be, and much less trusted. Only 41 per cent of respondents see America as a strong ally, and that figure is likely to decline still further.
Prosperity and peace will need to be created from within, not imposed from without. Clear vision and strategic thought will be required to do that, as will an understanding of the regional realities and home truths that the Arab Youth Survey articulates.
Nick March is an assistant editor-in-chief at The National
Education reform in Abu Dhabi
The emirate’s public education system has been in a constant state of change since the New School Model was launched in 2010 by the Abu Dhabi Education Council. The NSM, which is also known as the Abu Dhabi School Model, transformed the public school curriculum by introducing bilingual education starting with students from grades one to five. Under this new curriculum, the children spend half the day learning in Arabic and half in English – being taught maths, science and English language by mostly Western educated, native English speakers. The NSM curriculum also moved away from rote learning and required teachers to develop a “child-centered learning environment” that promoted critical thinking and independent learning. The NSM expanded by one grade each year and by the 2017-2018 academic year, it will have reached the high school level. Major reforms to the high school curriculum were announced in 2015. The two-stream curriculum, which allowed pupils to elect to follow a science or humanities course of study, was eliminated. In its place was a singular curriculum in which stem -- science, technology, engineering and maths – accounted for at least 50 per cent of all subjects. In 2016, Adec announced additional changes, including the introduction of two levels of maths and physics – advanced or general – to pupils in Grade 10, and a new core subject, career guidance, for grades 10 to 12; and a digital technology and innovation course for Grade 9. Next year, the focus will be on launching a new moral education subject to teach pupils from grades 1 to 9 character and morality, civic studies, cultural studies and the individual and the community.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
UAE v Zimbabwe A, 50 over series
Fixtures
Thursday, Nov 9 - 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 11 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Monday, Nov 13 – 2pm, Dubai International Stadium
Thursday, Nov 16 – 2pm, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 18 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.