Qatar's youth is overwhelmingly positive about their future and believes their government is putting the right policies in place to address their needs, according to findings from the 9th annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2017.
An overwhelming majority (96 percent) of Qatari youth said they believe the country has been heading in the right direction over the past five years, while 86 percent were confident the government is developing the right policies for youth.
Sheikha Hanadi Al Thani, the Founder and Chairperson of Amwal, participated in the panel discussion at the 9th Arab Youth Survey launch event, focusing her remarks on education and unemployment.
In the GCC states, 85 percent of young people are confident that their country has been heading in the right direction over the past five years compared with 52 per cent for Arab youth across the region. Three quarters (78 per cent) of GCC youth also believe their “best days are ahead of them” compared with 58 per cent for Arab youth as a whole; and 82 per cent of young people in the GCC believe their economy is on the right track versus just 52 per cent on a region-wide basis.
Further, 86 per cent of Gulf youth believe their governments are putting the right policies in place that will benefit young people – an opinion held by just 57 per cent of young Arabs across the whole Middle East.
Sunil John, Founder & CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, said: “For the GCC states, the findings from this year’s survey are encouraging. Not only are young people optimistic about the future, they have confidence that their governments are doing the right things for them. This is not the story in the rest of the region. The positivity and optimism of Gulf youth are a real bright spot in the Middle East today, but one that also highlights a growing trend of a polarisation of views, inspiring the main theme of this year’s Survey: ‘The Middle East – a region divided.’”
Roy Haddad, Director, WPP MENA, said: “The Arab Youth Survey provides a voice to the voiceless, and allows young Arabs to be heard around the world. It allows us to hear what Arab youth think and feel about their past, present and future. As such, it is an invaluable tool for businesses and governments, and civil society in general, who need accurate data and insights about this most important demographic.”
The Survey reveals that, in 2017, support for the US has fallen markedly: 17 per cent of young Arabs see US as their most important ally, down 8 percentage points from 2016.
