Arab youth prefer UAE over Canada, US: Sheikh Mohammed

The UAE is consistently viewed by young Arabs as a "model nation and the number one country to live in", based on the 11 ASDA'A BCW Arab Youth Survey, released on Tuesday.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, hailed the survey results on his official twitter handle and told the Arab youth: "The UAE was and will always be your country, a part of a beautiful Arab world that will continue prospering with your energy and aspirations."

Forty-four per cent or four out 10 young Arabs say the UAE is the country they would want to live in, followed by Canada (22 per cent), United States (21 per cent), Turkey (17 per cent) and the United Kingdom (15 per cent).

The survey is based on 3,300 face-to-face interviews conducted by international research firm PSB between January 6 and January 29, 2019 with young Arab nationals aged 18-24 in 15 states in the Middle East and North Africa, with a 50:50 male female split.

Back in 2015, 20 per cent of the respondent selected the UAE as their preferred country in which to live, a figure that has now more than doubled in 2019.

"The UAE's growing reputation among Arab youth as the best country to live in and for their nations to emulate highlights the forward-looking development strategy and future-focused vision of the UAE leadership," said Sunil John, president of ASDA'A BCW.

"In the past eight years of the survey, the positive perception of the UAE has only gained in strength year-on-year, underlining the county as a true beacon of hope and a model nation for young people across the region," he added.

Young Arabs also see the UAE as a model nation, with 42 per cent stating they would like their country to emulate it, far surpassing any other Arab or Western country. The US and Japan tied in second position at 20 per cent each, followed by Turkey (19 per cent) and Canada (18 per cent) rounding out the top five.

Arab youth also view the UAE as a strong ally, with 93 per cent saying the UAE is an ally of their country, surpassing other Arab (Egypt 84 per cent ally; Saudi Arabia 80 per cent) and non-Arab (Turkey 68 per cent, Russia 64 per cent, and US 41 per cent) states.

Meanwhile, Young Arabs say religion plays too big a role in the Middle East and believe that religious institutions should be reformed.

Moreover, three in four young Arabs are concerned about the quality of education in their respective country, and two in three say they would prefer to pursue higher education outside their country.

They also view Saudi Arabia and the US as the two nations increasing their influence in the region more than any other countries.

In terms of economy, young Arabs are driving the region's e-commerce boom and are beginning to prefer paying by card rather than cash when shopping online.

The Arab youth likewise view social media as more popular and trustworthy than traditional media.