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Key findings of the Arab Youth Survey

Here is what today's Arab youth thinks about the region, the role of Daesh, the employment scenario and the state of the economy.

The rise of Daesh remains the single biggest challenge facing the Middle East, but young people in the region overwhelmingly reject the extremist group and believe it will fail to establish an Islamic state.

This was the top finding in the 8th Annual Asda'a Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey which revealed that "three in four young Arabs are concerned about the rise of Daesh but only one in six believes the terrorist group will ultimately succeed".

To read the complete findings of the survey, click here.

While there is a growing concern for the group's activities - with 50 per cent of youth citing it as the biggest obstacle in the region, up from 37 per cent last year - tacit support for the group is declining, with just 13 per cent agreeing they could see themselves supporting Daesh even if it did not use violence, compared with 19 per cent in 2015.

Talking to Khaleej Times, Asda'a Burson-Marsteller CEO Sunil John said: "The young people are really concerned about Daesh and the fact that they reject Daesh as a concept is a clear expression that they want to live in a safe and secure country."

With the youth's rejection of Daesh, does it mean that the group will not grow?

"I don't think so," John said. "We asked specific questions what is the main recruitment driver for Daesh and the number one reason young people say is that Daesh provides job and opportunities for young people."

According to the survey, "a quarter of young people believe that a lack of jobs and opportunities are the main recruitment drivers for the terrorist group, although one in four of those surveyed also said they could see no reason why anyone would want to take up with Daesh".

Religious divide

Meanwhile, young Arabs also believe the Sunni-Shia relations are deteriorating and that religion plays too big of a role in the Middle East.

Nearly half or 47 per cent of Arab youth believe that relations between the two sects have worsened in the last five years while 52 per cent agree that religion plays too big of a role in the Middle East.

When asked to think about their native country's biggest ally, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and US are deemed as top allies in the region while Iran's influence is seen as growing.

Arab youths cite Saudi Arabia (31 per cent) for the fifth year running, followed by the UAE (28 per cent), and US (25 per cent). One of the biggest developments in regional relations since 2015 has been the rise of Iran, which has risen to the top 10 allies for the first time in the Arab Youth Survey, with 13 per cent naming the country an ally.

Most young Arabs today are prioritising stability over democracy. In 2016, just 36 per cent of young Arabs think that the Arab world is better off following the uprisings of the Arab Spring, down from 72 per cent in 2012 at the height of unrest. The majority of young Arabs (53 per cent) agree that promoting stability in the region is more important than promoting democracy (28 per cent). At the same time, two-thirds are calling for their leaders to do more to improve their personal freedoms and human rights.

angel@khaleejtimes.com