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Amid record youth unemployment, over half of Arab youth in the Levant and North Africa want to emigrate for better opportunities

Young Arabs considering emigration would like to move to Canada, US, Germany, UK and France Nearly two-thirds (62%) in North Africa and about three-quarters (72%) in Levant say their national economy is going in the wrong direction At over 25%, youth unemployment in the MENA region is the highest and fastest-growing in the world

 Dubai, UAE, August 9, 2023: Over half of Arab youth in the Levantine and North African countries say they are actively trying to leave or are considering leaving their country for better opportunities. The desire to emigrate is strongest among young men and women in the Levant (53%) followed by North Africa (48%), with the primary goal of finding a job.

On the other hand, just over a quarter (27%) of youth in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states say they have considered emigration, with a majority saying they would ‘never leave their country.’

Most Arab youth say they would like to emigrate to Canada (34%), with the United States (30%) coming a close second, followed by Germany and the UK (both on 20%) and France at 17%.

 These are some of the key findings under the theme ‘My Aspirations’ in the 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, the most comprehensive study of its kind of the Arab world’s largest demographic, its over 200 million youth, conducted by ASDA’A BCW, the Middle East and North Africa’s leading communications consultancy.

The desire to emigrate corresponds with the bleak economic outlook in many Arab nations. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of young Arabs in the Levant (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Syria and Yemen), and about two-thirds (62%) in North African countries surveyed (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, South Sudan and Tunisia) said their national economy is going in the ‘wrong direction’.

In the GCC, however, youth remain extremely optimistic, with nearly nine in 10 (88%) saying their country’s economy is headed in the ‘right direction’.

With youth unemployment in the Middle East exceeding 25% – the highest and fastest-growing in the world, according to the International Labour Organisation – getting a job is understandably a priority for young Arabs. Among those who said they are actively considering emigration, nearly half (49%) said the reason was to ‘look for a job.’

One in four (25%) GCC youth said they have considered emigration to ‘experience something new’ compared with 13% in North Africa and 11% in Levant.

Despite their fears about their national economy, more than two-thirds (69%) of Arab youth believe their best days lie ahead of them, a 5% increase over 2022. Youth in the GCC are the most hopeful (85%), followed by those in North Africa (64%) and the Levant (60%).

Compared with four years ago, youth optimism in the region is at its peak, with 57% today saying they will have a better life than their parents, compared with 45% who said this in 2019. The positivity is highest among GCC youth (75%), followed by young Arabs in Levant (52%) and North Africa (50%).

Thinking about the next 10 years, Arab youth mostly want to start a career (18%) followed by finishing their education (17%). Pursuing a personal interest they are passionate about ranked third (15%).

In another insightful finding, more than 8 in 10 (85%) said Arab countries must uphold universal values such as freedom, equality and respect for human rights – a sentiment shared by most young Arabs in all the three regions covered – 91% in North Africa, and 81% each in the GCC and Levant.

Sunil John, President, MENA, BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW, said: “The increasing number of Arab youth seeking greener pastures abroad reveals two of their important characteristics: One, their disappointment in the lack of opportunities at home – for a good education and a successful career, and two, their eagerness to shape their own destiny.

“Youth emigration is a huge drain on the economy of the Arab world, which must be stopped if the region is to benefit from the youth dividend. The region is one of the youngest in the world with over 60% of its population, over 200 million, below the age of 30,” added John.

“Despite the bleak economies in North Africa and Levant, what shines through is the youthful exuberance of being optimistic of the future. This is evident in most young Arabs being defiantly hopeful about their chances for a better life. These findings underline that Arab countries must focus on creating the right enabling environment for young people to thrive – the responsibility for this lies with both the government and the private sector.”

ASDA’A BCW commissioned SixthFactor Consulting, a leading research company, to conduct face-to-face interviews with 3,600 Arab citizens aged 18 to 24 in their home nations from March 27 to April 12, 2023.

In the coming weeks, ASDA’A BCW will publish insights under the last theme of this year’s research, My Lifestyle, as well as findings on climate change, mental health and gender rights, making this year’s study the most comprehensive in its 15-year history.

The initial findings of the 2023 edition of the ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, under the themes My Aspirations, My Global Citizenship, My Politics, My Livelihood and My Identity, are available with expert commentaries at arabyouthsurvey.com. The overarching theme of this year’s study is ‘Living a New Reality’.

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Arab youth say religion and family define their personal identity and most are concerned about the loss of traditional values

Over half (54%) of Arab youth say the Arabic language is less important to them than it is to their parents Nearly two-thirds (62%) say the laws of their country should be based on Sharia

Dubai, UAE, August 9, 2023: Arab youth say religion and their family or tribe define their personal identity, with most saying that preserving their religious and cultural identity is more important to them than creating a more tolerant, liberal, and globalised society.

This is one of the key findings under the theme ‘My Identity’ of the 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, the most comprehensive study of its kind of the Arab world’s largest demographic, its over 200 million youth, conducted by ASDA’A BCW, the Middle East and North Africa’s leading communications consultancy.

When asked what defines their personal identity, ‘my religion’ and ‘my family/tribe’ were each named by 27% of respondents overall, followed by ‘my nationality’ (15%), ‘my language’ (11%), ‘my Arabic heritage’ (8%), ‘my gender’ (7%) and ‘my political beliefs’ (4%).

Religion was named as most important to personal identity by 30% of the respondents in Levant, 27% in North Africa, and 25% in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, while family/tribe was deemed most important by 37% of youth in North Africa, 21% in Levant and 20% in the GCC.

Over three-quarters (76%) of Arab youth said they are concerned about the loss of traditional values and culture, the highest percentage saying so in five years, while nearly two-thirds (65%) said preserving their religious and cultural identity is more important to them than creating a more tolerant, liberal, and globalised society. This sentiment rises to nearly 74% in Levant, 72% in the GCC states and 68% in North Africa.

Interestingly, while 11% said language is most important to their identity, over half (54%) of the respondents said the Arabic language is less important to them than it is to their parents. This trend is seen across the three regions surveyed, with 59% of GCC youth, 51% in North Africa and 52% in Levant all saying it is less important to them.

Reflecting the importance they place on their faith, a majority (73%) disagreed that religious values are holding the Arab world back, but nearly two-thirds (65%) said religion plays too big a role in the Middle East. Fewer Arab youth than in previous years feel the region needs to reform its religious institutions – down to 58% this year from 77% last year. This year, the face-to-face interviews with Arab youth were conducted from March 27 to April 12, coinciding with the Holy Month of Ramadan.

This sense of young Arabs embracing their religious identity is further reinforced by the finding that nearly two-thirds (62%) say the laws of their country should be based on Sharia standards and not civil or common law. This sentiment is consistent across the three regions covered, with 68% in GCC, 53% in North Africa and 68% in Levant saying they prefer Sharia laws to govern their nations.

Sunil John, President, MENA, BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW, said: “These findings reveal that Generation Z remain guided by faith, with their affinity toward their religion stronger than ever and many being concerned about what they see as the loss of traditional values and culture. What is evident is that Arab youth increasingly view their personal identity through the lens of religion, family and nationality.”

“Another compelling finding is that the Arabic language is not as integral to their sense of tradition or their cultural values as one might have thought, with a majority of young people across the Arab world agreeing that the Arabic language is less important to them than it is to their parents,” John added.

“The loss in importance given by Arab youth to the Arabic language is inevitably a symptom of the pervasive spread of the internet and social media. It is a cause for concern, most importantly, because of the Arabic language’s potentially diminished role as a unifying force among Arab nations.”

ASDA’A BCW commissioned SixthFactor Consulting, a leading research company, to conduct the 15th edition of the Arab Youth Survey through face-to-face interviews with 3,600 Arab citizens aged 18 to 24 in their home nations, the largest sample in the survey’s history.

The survey covered 53 cities across 18 Arab states, including for the first time South Sudan. The interviews were conducted in person rather than online to maximise accuracy and to reflect the nuances of Arab youth opinion across the region as much as possible.

‘My Identity’ is the fourth sub-theme of the 2023 ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, whose overarching theme is ‘Living a New Reality’. Findings on ‘Global Citizenship’ were announced in June, followed by ‘My Politics’ and ‘My Livelihood’ in July.

Insights into the lifestyle of Arab youth, as well as their perceptions on topics as diverse as climate change, mental health and gender will be revealed in the coming weeks, making this year’s survey the most comprehensive in its 15-year history.

All the published findings are freely available with expert commentaries at arabyouthsurvey.com

Nearly half of Arab youth aspire to start their own business in the next five years: 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey

Entrepreneurial spirit strongest among GCC youth, with majority (58%) saying it is easy to start a business in their country Arab youth say financial incentives and better training programmes would encourage more of them to start a business More young Arab men and women prefer to work in the private sector than pursue government jobs

 Dubai, UAE, July 18, 2023: The Arab world has a promising opportunity to promote youth entrepreneurship with nearly half of young Arabs saying they plan to start their own business in the next five years. This entrepreneurial zeal also reflects an increased preference to work for the private sector rather than the government.

These are some of the notable findings of the landmark 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, the largest study of its kind of the Arab world’s largest demographic, its over 200 million youth, by ASDA’A BCW, the Middle East and North Africa’s leading communications consultancy.

Youth unemployment in the region is one of the highest in the world at over 26% with nearly one in three youth (32%) aged 15 to 24 not engaged in employment, education or training, according to a World Bank report. The United Nations observed that the region must create 33.3 million jobs by 2030 to absorb the large number of young people entering the workforce, a daunting task that governments must take forward with urgency.

ASDA’A BCW commissioned SixthFactor Consulting, a leading research company, to conduct face-to-face interviews with 3,600 Arab citizens aged 18 to 24 in their home nations from March 27 to April 12, 2023.

The largest sample in the survey’s history covered 53 cities across 18 Arab states, including for the first time South Sudan. The interviews were conducted face to face rather than online to maximise accuracy and to reflect the nuances of Arab youth opinion across the region as much as possible.

Exploring Arab youth attitudes on their future careers, the survey found that 42% of young Arab men and women would like to start their own business in the next five years. This desire was strongest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states (53%), followed by the Levant (39%) and North Africa (37%).

GCC youth were also more upbeat about their chances of going into business themselves, with 58% saying that starting a business in their country was ‘very easy/somewhat easy’. This compares with 79% of youth in the Levant and 73% in North Africa who said it was ‘very difficult/somewhat difficult’ to start a business in their country.

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According to the research, tax breaks, reduced fees for startups, enhanced training and education, and government-backed loans would encourage more youth to become entrepreneurs. When it comes to their preferred industry, 15% of the sample said they wanted to start a business in the tech sector, followed by e-commerce (13%), the creative industries (11%), manufacturing (11%), real estate (10%), the food business (9%), and retail, hospitality and education (7% each).

Growing preference for private sector jobs

One of the significant trends that the survey has documented over the years is the increasing preference of Arab youth for private sector jobs over a career in government.

Compared to nearly half of all respondents in 2019 who said that they preferred to work in the government sector, less than a third (30%) feel the same now. Meanwhile, a third (33%) of Arab youth said they would prefer to work in business, a 13% increase from 2022.

One in four (25%) young Arabs now say they want to work for themselves or their family, a slight decline since last year (28%), but a six-percentage point jump from 2019. Meanwhile, 11% said they preferred to work for a non-profit organisation.

Sunil John, President, MENA, BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW, said: “The fact that Arab youth are eager to start their own business is an encouraging sign, but it is also a natural response to the great difficulty in certain countries to find stable employment. Policymakers and the business community itself must do more to support those young men and women willing to do it alone.”

“Meanwhile, the increasing diversification of the GCC economies is casting the private sector in a positive new light,” John added. “This is a promising trend for the long-term sustainability of the regional economy and a potential source of jobs and opportunity for Arab youth outside the Arabian Gulf.”

“However, this growing interest in a business career must be matched by companies themselves, with recruitment and career development pathways introduced to empower the region’s rapidly evolving Arab national workforce,” John said.

In the coming weeks, ASDA’A BCW will publish insights under the three remaining themes covered in the study: My Identity, covering religion and issues of personal identity; My Aspirations, the hopes of young Arabs for the future; and My Lifestyle, highlighting their habits, pastimes, and the media they consume. Findings on climate change, mental health and gender rights will also be disclosed, making this year’s study the most extensive in the survey’s history. The overall theme of the 15th edition of the ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey is ‘Living a New Reality’.

To know more about the findings, log on to arabyouthsurvey.com

 

Confidence of Arab youth in government outside the GCC drops: 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey

Following the launch of the survey’s first theme, ‘My Global Citizenship,’ ASDA’A BCW unveils findings under two new themes, ‘My Politics’ and ‘My Livelihood’ Findings highlight stark divide in the perceptions of youth in the GCC states compared with their counterparts in North Africa and Levant Two-thirds of Arab youth in North Africa and Levant say their voice does not matter to their country’s leadership, a significant drop from 2022 Rising cost of living and unemployment continue to be the biggest concerns for Arab youth

 Dubai, UAE, July 18, 2023: Nearly two-thirds of Arab youth outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries lack confidence in their government’s ability to tackle their most pressing concerns such as unemployment, corruption, and rising living costs.

More than half (54%) of the total respondents also felt their voice did not matter to their country’s leadership. This is a significant drop of 19 percentage points over 2022 in the number of young Arabs who said their voice matters to their leadership. This feeling of estrangement, primarily driven by young people in North Africa and Levant, is also the most pronounced in five years.

These are some of the key findings of the landmark 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, the most comprehensive study of its kind of the Arab world’s largest demographic, its over 200 million youth, by ASDA’A BCW, the Middle East and North Africa’s leading communications consultancy.

ASDA’A BCW commissioned SixthFactor Consulting, a leading research company, to conduct face-to-face interviews with 3,600 Arab citizens aged 18 to 24 in their home nations from March 27 to April 12, 2023. The largest sample in the survey’s history was equally divided between men and women in 53 cities across a total of 18 Arab states, including for the first time South Sudan. The interviews were conducted in person rather than online to maximise accuracy and to reflect the nuances of Arab youth opinion across the region as much as possible.

This year, the survey’s findings are being released under six themes, with the first, ‘My Global Citizenship’ announced in June. Today, ASDA’A BCW published key insights under the second and third themes: ‘My Politics’ and ‘My Livelihood’, which highlighted a stark contrast in the outlook of young men and women in the Arabian Gulf and those in North Africa and Levant.

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GCC governments showing the way on policy

More than three-quarters (78%) of Arab youth in the GCC states say they agree that their voice matters to their leadership while a full 87% say their government has the right policies to address their most important concerns.

Arab youth across the sample identified unemployment, government corruption, rising living costs, economic instability and climate change among the top concerns facing them and the region. GCC youth expressed strong confidence in their government to address all these issues.

Nearly all (98%) young Emiratis said they were confident of their government’s ability to address unemployment. Youth had a similarly positive outlook in Saudi Arabia (70%), Oman (67%), Kuwait (64%) and Bahrain (61%). Unsurprisingly, only 20% of GCC youth said it would be difficult to find a job in their country.

Young men and women in the GCC also expressed confidence in their government to address corruption. This was the view of 97% of youth in the UAE, 84% in Oman, 82% in Bahrain, 69% in Saudi Arabia and 56% in Kuwait.

Similarly, 98% of Emirati youth said they were confident that their government could manage the rising cost of living, compared with 66% of young Arabs in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, 64% in Oman, and 57% in Kuwait. Only 15% of GCC youth said they struggled to pay their expenses in full, though 16% said they were in debt, with student loans (25%), car loans (15%), marriage loans (11%) and excessive shopping (9%) cited as the main reasons.

All Emirati youth polled said they were confident that their government could ensure economic stability; high levels of confidence on economic management were also found in Saudi Arabia (82%), Oman and Kuwait (73% each) and Bahrain (67%). More than half (52%) of GCC youth also said there was no government corruption in their country, although 44% said there was ‘some’ corruption.

Youth in the GCC also trust their government to take action on climate change, with 97% of Emirati youth, 75% of young Saudis, 80% in Oman, 77% in Bahrain and 66% in Kuwait expressing confidence in the climate policies of their leaders. This positivity reflects widespread optimism about the future, with 83% of GCC youth saying their country was going in the right direction.

Government in North Africa and Levant unresponsive to Arab youth

A contrasting picture emerges from North Africa and the Levant countries. Only a third of youth surveyed in these regions said their voice mattered to their leadership, while 63% in North Africa and 66% in Levant said their governments did not have the right policies to address their most important concerns.

Nearly two-thirds (61%) of youth in North Africa and about three-quarters (71%) of Levantine youth said their country was going in the wrong direction. Just four in ten (38%) young Arabs in North Africa were confident that their government could address unemployment, while in Levant, which has among the world’s highest levels of youth unemployment, only a third (32%) said their government was able to address the issue. More than half of youth in Levant (57%) and North Africa (50%) said it was difficult to find a job in their country.

While a significant 41% of youth in North Africa said they were confident their government could deliver economic stability, less than a third (31%) of youth in the Levant said the same.

They were similarly downbeat on the ability of their government to tackle inflation, with 41% of North African youth and a third (33%) in Levant saying they didn’t trust their leaders to manage rising living costs. And nearly half of the study sample in both regions said they struggled to pay their expenses in full, with a quarter (27%) of youth in Levant and 19% in North Africa admitting they were in debt – student loans, medical bills, credit card bills and car loans were mostly responsible.

On climate change, 46% of youth in North Africa and 39% of their peers in the Levant said they were confident their government could address the issue. When it comes to eradicating corruption, 40% of North African youth and 28% of young people in Levant said they had faith in their government.

Graft is widely acknowledged by Arab youth to be a concern in the region, with a third (33%) of the total respondents to the survey saying there was ‘widespread government corruption’ in their country. This sentiment is particularly strong in North Africa (87%) and Levant (89%).

Sunil John, President, MENA, BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW, said: “What stands out in this year’s survey is the fact that, once again, young GCC citizens are poles apart from their fellow Arabs in North Africa and the Levant.”

“Over the past 15 years, our research has been a barometer of the hopes and fears of Arab youth in countries outside the Arabian Gulf, particularly on kitchen table issues such as jobs and rising living costs. A path to a better future for these young men and women must be found if we are to ensure the Arab world’s precious youth dividend is not lost.

“It is no small matter that the GCC nations are economically stronger, oil-producing nations, while the countries in North Africa and Levant – in particular, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestinian Territories, Syria, Sudan and Yemen – are conflict-ridden and only recovering from long years of a ravaging war.”

John said that the spirit of youth optimism emerging from the GCC states showed that realising such a future was possible. “The fact that three-quarters of GCC youth believe their voice matters to their leadership, compared to barely a third in North Africa and Levant is telling. It shows that GCC governments understand the pulse of their youth.”

In the coming weeks, ASDA’A BCW will publish insights under the three remaining themes covered in the study: My Identity, covering religion and issues of personal identity; My Aspirations, the hopes of young Arabs for the future; and My Lifestyle, highlighting their habits, pastimes, and the media they consume.  Findings on climate change, mental health and gender rights will also be disclosed, making this year’s study the most extensive in the survey’s history. The overall theme of the 15th edition of the ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey is ‘Living a New Reality’.

To know more about the findings, log on to arabyouthsurvey.com

Most young Arabs see China as ally- China Daily report

Read China Daily report on the 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey findings

A majority of young Arab respondents in a recent survey consider China to be an ally of their respective countries, showing their increasingly favorable sentiments toward Beijing.

According to an annual survey, conducted by Dubai-based public relations firm ASDA’A BCW from March 27 to April 12, 80 percent of respondents viewed China as an ally, while 82 percent of young Arabs said they saw Turkiye as an ally. The United States ranked seventh among countries viewed as allies, at 72 percent.

The survey, in its 15th year, included face-to-face interviews with 3,600 Arabs ages 18 to 24 in 53 cities in 18 Arab countries.

According to the results, 61 percent of respondents supported the US disengaging from the Middle East region.

The survey also found that 28 percent of young Arabs think the conflict in Ukraine will ultimately be resolved through diplomatic negotiations.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a news conference on Tuesday that the survey results show that Arab friends, especially the young generation, see China as a sincere, amicable and trusted friend.

In recent years, many surveys have found increasingly favorable sentiments among people in Arab countries toward China, Mao said.

Noting that China and Arab countries enjoy a long-standing tradition of friendly exchanges, she said that young people are the ones to carry forward this traditional friendship, and they represent the sources of strength and hope for China-Arab friendly cooperation.

At the end of 2022, President Xi Jinping attended the first China-Arab States Summit and put forward eight major initiatives on China-Arab practical cooperation, including one on youth development.

The China-Arab youth friendship ambassadors 2023 program, which will bring nearly 100 Arab youths to China for exchanges, will soon be jointly launched, according to Mao.

“We stand ready to work with Arab countries to continue enhancing youth exchanges and cement the public foundation for building a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era,” she said.

China is the largest trading partner of Arab countries, while Arab countries have become China’s seventh-largest trading partner and largest crude oil supplier.

Full story here

China stands ready to enhance youth exchange with Arab countries, says Chinese spokesperson

The findings of the 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey were highlighted at China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on June 27, 2023

China on Tuesday hailed increasing favorable sentiments among people in Arab world towards China and vowed to foster closer ties with countries in the region.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks during a routine press conference in Beijing in response to a recent survey on China-Arab ties conducted by a Dubai-based PR consultancy.

According to the survey, among 3,600 people aged between 18 and 24 in 18 Arab countries, 80 percent of those surveyed consider China an ally, ranking near the top.

Over recent years, there have been several survey reports showing increasing favorable sentiments among people in Arab countries towards China. Arab friends, especially the young generation, see China as a sincere, amicable and trusted friend, Mao told the conference.

“China and Arab countries enjoy a longstanding tradition of friendly exchanges. Young people are the ones to carry forward this traditional friendship and represent the source of strength and hope for our friendly cooperation,” Mao noted.

China stands ready to work with Arab countries to continue enhancing youth exchange and cement the public foundation for building a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era, the spokesperson added.

Read full transcript of the briefing here

https://asdaa-bcw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/HaiWaiChuanBoBu-LiangJun_ea73dc8f4ff465fd55124924a0e04fa2.mp4

Arab Youth Survey Highlights Shifting Geopolitical Allegiances – PRovoke Media report

Read the report by Maja Pawinska Sims in PRovoke Media on the 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey

DUBAI — The 15th annual Asda’a BCW Arab Youth Survey has highlighted shifting geopolitical allegiances in the Arab world, with young people across the Middle East and North Africa saying they now view Turkey and China as stronger allies of their country than the US or Russia.

The Arab Youth Survey is the largest survey of the biggest demographic in the region – with more than 2 million young people – and explores the hopes, fears and aspirations of young Arabs in 53 cities in 18 states across the Middle East and North Africa.

For the 2023 survey, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 3,600 Arab citizens aged 18 to 24 in March and April by research company SixthFactor Consulting. The cohort was split equally between men and women.

The survey covered five Gulf Cooperation Council states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE), North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and, for the first time, South Sudan), the Levant region (Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Syria) and Yemen.

Asda’a BCW has so far released the findings of the first of six parts of the survey, ‘My Citizenship’, under the overarching theme ‘Living a New Reality’.

In the coming weeks, the agency will publish insights from the other five themes: My Politics, revealing what young Arab say about the performance of their government; My Livelihood, detailing their views on education, jobs, and their finances; My Identity, covering religion and issues of personal identity; My Aspirations, the hopes of young Arabs for the future; and My Lifestyle, highlighting their habits, pastimes, and the media they consume.

Findings on climate change, mental health and gender rights will also be disclosed, making this year’s study the most extensive in the survey’s history.

Asda’a BCW founder and BCW MENA president Sunil John, who has led the thought leadership initiative over the past 15 years, told PRovoke Media that the Arab Youth Survey was his “passion project”: “The reason we started this 2008 is simply because if you want to understand the Arab world you need to understand the hearts and minds of youth, and there wasn’t much data on the biggest demographic in the region.

“You can literally see the Arab Spring happening in the first surveys – in 2009 the top finding was that young people wanted to live in a democracy and have a better education system – if only people had listened. There was no voice and we’ve given Arab youth a voice.

“It’s been an opportunity to create something of great value that can benefit governments, business, academics and media, and it has clearly informed policy-making across the region and business strategy development. We now present the findings to government ministers and think tanks, heads of state share results of the survey, and it’s been picked up by international media like CNN, the Financial Times and the Economist.”

In the ‘My Citizenship’ findings, 82% of Arab youth named Turkey as a ‘strong ally’ or ‘somewhat of an ally of their country’, followed by China (80%), the UK (79%), Germany (78%) and France (74%). The US ranked seventh, with 72% votes, just below India at 73%.

The US and UK, however, continue to be seen as a ‘strong ally’ by more than half of those surveyed, while two-thirds (66%) said America would be a stronger ally of their nation than Russia or China in the next five years. Russia, a top-three ally in last year’s study, now ranks in ninth place, rated as an ally by 63% of respondents, below Pakistan (69%).

At the same time, they say the US continues to exert the most influence in the Arab world. Compared to only 3% naming Turkey as having the most influence, and 4% identifying China, a third of young Arabs (33%) say the US is the most influential, followed by the UAE (11%), Saudi Arabia and Israel (both on 10%), and Russia (8%).

However, most would like the US to be less involved in Middle Eastern affairs, with nearly two-thirds across the GCC, North Africa and the Levant countries saying they ‘strongly or somewhat support’ US disengagement from the region.

In addition, the survey found that most young Arabs are pessimistic about the prospects for peace in the Palestinian Territories, and around two-thirds of young Arabs (60%) say that relations between Iran and Israel and the West will deteriorate into military conflict. Many expect the Iranian regime to become even more authoritarian in the future, with nearly a third saying Iran will experience more civil unrest and possibly a coup.

For the 12th consecutive year since young Arabs were asked to name the countries they consider ‘model nations’, they said the United Arab Emirates is the country they would most like to live in and the one they would most like their own to be like. The US and Canada were ranked second and third, respectively, for the third year running.

Three GCC nations, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, appear in Arab youth’s top-five list of model nations for the first time in nine years. Young Arab men and women now say they would rather live in Qatar than the UK, while Saudi Arabia ranks joint-fifth with the UK in their list of countries they most want their own to emulate.

Full story here

Listening to Arab Youth

More young Arabs express their desire to start a business and work for themselves (picture used for illustrative purpose only)

By Dr. Jihad Azour

Optimism can be difficult to muster at a time of heightened uncertainty and global turmoil. The 2022 ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, conducted only a few months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflected a darkening economic outlook. Rapidly rising commodity prices and supply-chain disruptions were fueling inflation worldwide, and higher food prices were straining low-income households and undermining food security in many parts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Not much has changed in the year since. Despite some easing since the end of 2022, price pressures remain stubbornly high; this year, inflation is expected to average around 15% in the Arab world. Many of the region’s central banks continued tightening monetary policy to prevent inflation expectations from de-anchoring. Coupled with turbulence in global financial markets and increased policy uncertainty, this could dampen economic activity for the foreseeable future.

Given this context, it is no surprise that rising living costs and unemployment were the most pressing concerns for young Arabs. The 2022 survey covered five Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates), North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia), and the Levant (Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Syria, and Yemen), where stark disparities in income and wealth remain.

This year, 41% of respondents reported struggling to pay their expenses in full, up from 37% in 2021. This share is much higher in the Levant, where 63% of the young people surveyed were unable to meet their basic financial obligations.

Moreover, this year’s survey highlighted how young Arabs’ concerns about education and unemployment dimmed their hopes for the future. About 83% of respondents were worried about the quality of education in their country. And, while only 15% of the youth population in GCC countries said it would be difficult to find a job, that share was 55% in North Africa and 73% in the Levant.

The most encouraging finding was growing interest in entrepreneurship. More young Arabs expressed the desire to start a business and work for themselves, while the traditional allure of government jobs appears to be waning (except, perhaps, in the GCC countries). This shift will help drive economic dynamism and boost growth, which could translate into more opportunities for future generations.

In response to these findings, policymakers should focus on addressing the cost-of-living crisis and generating more and better employment opportunities. Shielding households from rising prices will require targeted measures, such as temporary cash transfers to the most vulnerable segments of the population, though governments should resist the temptation to reintroduce or expand subsidies and trade restrictions. Meanwhile, survey responses point to a two-pronged approach to tackling the lack of jobs: fighting corruption and nepotism and improving the education system. Both require policymakers to implement long-term reforms.

While it is important to help young people gain skills that are attractive to current and future employers, governments should also provide entrepreneurial support for young Arabs hoping to start and grow their own business. Beyond offering more training, this means removing barriers to market entry, increasing transparency in the provision of public goods and services, and broadening access to credit.

The International Monetary Fund recently highlighted the importance of stepping up digitalization and investing in new technologies in the MENA region. This would help young men and women take full advantage of the new job opportunities associated with remote work, online learning, digital finance, and e-commerce. At the same time, digitalization will improve access to and delivery of social protection services.

Finally, the survey results underscore the threat posed by climate change. The Arab world relies heavily on food imports, making supplies and prices vulnerable to severe weather events in other parts of the world. Policymakers must take decisive measures to ensure food security, such as investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, using water more efficiently, and improving the management of food stocks and supply chains at the national level. Greater investment in clean-energy technologies could also deliver comparative advantages (by reducing the emissions produced by industrial exports), accelerate the diversification of the region’s economies, and create jobs.

The IMF is committed to supporting the MENA region through financing, having already allocated $53.8 billion to Arab countries since the start of the pandemic [link?], together with assistance for capacity development and policy advice. The Fund is also enhancing its lending toolkit to help countries better cope with new crises and challenges.

To help address the urgent food crisis facing its most vulnerable members, the IMF has introduced a one-year lending window, which, as of April 2023, has benefited six countries with a total of $1.9 billion. That scheme is complemented by the IMF’s new resilience and sustainability trust, which supports low-income and middle-income countries in addressing long-term challenges, including climate change and future pandemics.

While the most recent survey of young Arabs ultimately presents a positive picture, with many convinced that their best days lie ahead, it also suggest an ever-growing battle between optimism and pessimism, particularly when it comes to the economy. One hopes that with the support of international organizations like the IMF, the next survey will show a renewed sense of confidence, inspired by improved economic conditions. Hope for a better future must continue to be nurtured, even – or especially – in turbulent times.

Dr. Jihad Azour, a former Lebanese finance minister, is the Director of the International Monetary Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia Department.

Read the Project Syndicate column here

ASDA’A BCW wins ‘Middle East Consultancy of the Year’ at 2023 EMEA SABRE Awards

The annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey won EMEA Innovation SABRE Gold for the second consecutive year for Best Agency Thought Leadership Initiative Organised by PRovoke Media, the SABRE Awards are the world’s biggest PR Awards, evaluated by a jury of more than 50 industry leaders

ASDA’A BCW, the region’s leading communications consultancy, has been named ‘Middle East Consultancy of the Year’ at the prestigious 2023 EMEA SABRE Awards, the world’s largest PR awards programme.

This is the fourth agency of the year recognition for ASDA’A BCW in recent months, after it was named ‘Media Company of the Year’ at the Arabian Business Achievements Awards in January, and ‘Best Agency – UAE’ and ‘Best PR/Communications Agency’ at the Campaign Agency of the Year Awards in December 2022. 

At the SABREs this year, the annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey also won the EMEA Innovation SABRE Gold for Best Agency Thought Leadership initiative, for the second consecutive year.

Rami Halawani, Executive Vice President for Client Services at ASDA’A BCW, receives the ‘Middle East Consultancy of the Year’ 2023 SABRE EMEA award from Paul Holmes, Founder of PRovoke Media, at a ceremony held in Frankfurt.

PRovoke Media wrote: “ASDA’A BCW has always been a regional industry pioneer and continues to change the way PR is seen in the Middle East. From day one, it disrupted the industry model by targeting a market that had never used PR before: local governments, family businesses and emerging regional brands with global ambitions. ASDA’A BCW also continued to innovate in 2022 by becoming the first communications consultancy in MENA to launch a dedicated ESG advisory, OnePoint5, to meet the growing requirement for Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) services in the region.”

Sunil John, President – MENA of BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW, said: “All awards are special, but the EMEA SABREs are arguably in a league of their own. The fact that ASDA’A BCW came out on top this year is a ringing endorsement of the work we deliver for our clients. Passion and commitment are truly a winning combination. This recognition reinforces our standing in the region as a talent-led and innovation-driven integrated consultancy creating exceptional value for our clients.”

Rami Halawani, Executive Vice President for Client Services at ASDA’A BCW, received the SABRE honours from Paul Holmes, Founder of PRovoke Media, at a ceremony held in Frankfurt.

With a strong presence in the corporate domain – including corporate reputation, consumer communications, public affairs, healthcare, finance, enterprise and technology, crisis management and employee relations, ASDA’A BCW further expanded its digital and data expertise in 2022.

Last year, the Agency achieved record revenue growth in its history. This was led by near 100 per cent client retention and record new business wins. Serving more than 100 clients in the region, ASDA’A BCW ranked high in the 2021 BCW Global Client Satisfaction Survey, where 68% of respondents rated its overall performance at ‘8 or higher’ on a 10-point scale, and 83% said they are more likely to recommend the firm.

The ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey demonstrates the value that the PR industry brings to governments, businesses, and civil society by providing evidence-based insights on the hopes, attitudes, and aspirations of MENA’s largest demographic, its over 200 million youth. The 2022 edition was launched with strong global/regional impact, reaching over 500 million people within the first week of its launch in September 2022.

-ENDS-

ASDA’A BCW appoints industry expert Rami Halawani as Executive Vice President – Client Services

Rami Halawani, formerly ASDA’A BCW’s Regional Director – Levant & North Africa, joins back from Dubai Chambers, where he was Director – Marketing & Communications

Rami Halawani, EVP – Client Services, ASDA’A BCW

Dubai, UAE; January 25, 2023: ASDA’A BCW, the region’s leading communications consultancy, has appointed Rami Halawani, a strategic communications and marketing professional with over two decades of experience, as its Executive Vice President – Client Services.

He will focus on strengthening key client relationships, delivering counsel to elevate campaigns, provide reputation and crisis management counsel, and build new business partnerships.  

Rami was an integral part of the Agency’s regional growth from 2002 to 2009 as Regional Director – Levant and North Africa, managing wholly-owned and affiliate offices in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt, in addition to leading the Consumer Marketing and Healthcare practices.

He joins the Agency from Dubai Chambers, where he was Director – Marketing & Corporate Communication for over 12 years, responsible for implementing the Chambers’ global communications strategy and engaging internal and external stakeholders. 

Welcoming Rami, Sunil John, President – MENA of BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW, said: “It is such a delight to welcome back Rami, who has played a key role in building our regional network. Rami will provide in-depth counsel to our clients with his demonstrated skills in integrated and digital-first communications as we chart a new growth strategy in 2023 focused on delivering exceptional client service.”

Rami said: “This is a true home-coming for me. With the communications industry evolving at a tremendous pace, it is important that Agencies focus on real value addition through service diversification and innovation – and ASDA’A BCW has been at the forefront especially with the region’s most quoted thought leadership initiative – the annual Arab Youth Survey and the recent launch of the innovative ESG advisory OnePoint5”.

Rami started his career with Weber Shandwick PR in Dubai as Account Manager and Arabic Media Relations Manager. A graduate in Literature with Post Graduation in Translation and Interpretation and is fluent in English, Arabic, French and Italian.

Having won ‘Best Agency – UAE’ – a historic recognition for a PR firm – at the Campaign Agency of the Year Middle East awards and the 2022 Best PR/Communications Agency, ASDA’A BCW is enhancing its value offerings for clients through innovative approaches to Public Relations.