Arab Youth Survey 2017: the 10 key findings

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  2. Overlooked by policymakers: A clear message to policymakers and governments across the region was that 81 per cent of young Arabs from across the region wanted their countries to do more to address their needs.

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  3. Unemployment and extremism: Unemployment, ISIL and the threat of terrorism were the biggest obstacles in the region, at 35, 35 and 34 per cent, respectively.

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  4. Education shortcomings: Few think their education system is preparing them for the future.

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  5. ISIL is weakening: Overall concerns about the extremist group have declined to 36 per cent from 50 per cent last year.

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  6. UAE is a model country: A third of those questioned said the UAE was also their preferred destination to live.

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  7. Concerns over Trump presidency: Nearly two-thirds of the Arab youth surveyed view Trump’s presidency with concern, anger or fear.

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  8. Regional allies: Russia and not the US is seen as the region’s top non-Arab ally.

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  9. Arabic language: Although the vast majority of young Arabs view Arabic as central to their national identity (80 per cent) most (60 per cent) also feel it is losing its value.

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  10. Social media: The study also found that Facebook (64 per cent) has become the main source of news. WhatsApp and Facebook (both 68 per cent) and YouTube (50 per cent) are the most popular social media platforms in the region.

The findings are from the ninth annual Arab Youth Survey, which interviewed 3,500 Arab nationals aged 18 to 24 from 16 countries.

For more insights and findings visit www.arabyouthsurvey.com