‘How will people react if they are cut?’: role of energy subsidies takes centre stage in discussion on Arab Youth Survey

About 74 per cent of young people across the region believe that their governments should offer fuel and utilities subsidies.

Panel discussion, from left, Andrew Neil, BBC journalist; Fadi Ghandour, founder of logistics company, Aramex; Noura Al Kaabi, chief executive of Media Zone Authority Abu Dhabi; Khaled Al Maeena, Saudi media and political analyst; and Jawad Nabulsi, founder and chief executive of the Nebny Foundation. Courtesy Asdaa Burson-MarstellerShow less

DUBAI // Are traditional values in decline, how will people react if energy subsidies are cut, and is confidence in the Arab Spring waning?

Those were some of the questions that were debated by leading thinkers from the region at a discussion on the Arab Youth Survey.

As many as 46 per cent believed that traditional values were “outdated”, and wished to embrace “modern values and beliefs”, this year’s survey found.

That had risen steadily over the years – only 17 per cent of the population agreed with that sentiment in 2011.

However, at the discussion, chaired by the BBC journalist Andrew Neil, speakers said there needed to be clarification over what constituted “modern” or “traditional” values.

“We need a clearer definition of what the youth are defining as modern values,” said Fadi Ghandour, the founder of logistics company, Aramex.

“What’s a modern value? Is it being able to surf the internet? Is it driving a car? Is it taking your scarf off? Is it speaking English rather than Arabic?

“That needs a lot of clarification. A lot of people say that they want modern values, but then 67 per cent say that family matters a lot. Is that a modern value or a traditional value?”

Khaled Almaeena, a Saudi media commentator, said that often there was an opposition to modern values because of their perceived western origin.

“A lot of people are being misled by institutions which say – please don’t modernise, because then you’ll be westernised,” he said.

“These are two different things. Conservatives are saying that if you modernise you’ll lose your language, your religion and your traditions.”

Another key area of the report was how 74 per cent of young people across the region believed that their governments should offer fuel and utilities subsidies.

Mr Ghandour said that although the survey found separately that confidence in governments’ ability to deal with a range of issues was high, making an unpopular move like cutting fuel subsidies could change this.

Mr Ghandour, a Jordanian, said his government’s decision to cut fuel subsidies in 2012 provoked riots but the situation did not become more inflamed.

“If the government stops subsidising utilities and stops offering jobs, are you still going to have such a high approval rating?” he asked.

“Governments within the region are very worried about that.

“The Arab Spring scared a lot of people here so subsidies were increased and salaries were doubled.

“In Jordan there were riots at first, but it didn’t escalate. It’s because they don’t want to be like Egypt or Syria. They’d rather take the cut to the subsidy than have disruption to their lives.”

The survey found that confidence in the Arab Spring was also dropping.

In 2012, 72 per cent of youngsters said that the Arab world was better off, compared with 54 per cent this year.

In addition, while 71 per cent in 2012 said that life would be better in five years because of the Arab Spring, that number dropped to 58 per cent in this year’s survey.

“Apart from Tunisia and Yemen, the Arab Spring wasn’t able to achieve what people wanted,” said Mr Almaeena.

“Particularly in Bahrain, in Egypt and in Syria, because of the troubles, the confidence really went down.”

The survey of 3,500 16 to 24-year- olds was carried out in 16 countries in the region in December and January.

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, a communications firm, released the survey on Monday and the polling was done by Penn Schoen Berland.