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Turkey, China stronger allies of region, surpassing traditional partners like US, Russia: Arab youth

UAE and Saudi Arabia are among the top three nations that have the most influence over the region

Published: Tue 20 Jun 2023, 3:43 PM

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Youth in the Arab countries says that Turkey and China are now stronger allies of the Arab world, surpassing the traditional partners the US and Russia, according to the annual Asda’a BCW Arab Youth Survey released on Tuesday.

The other countries that are considered allies by the Arab youth are the UK, Germany, France, India, the US, Pakistan, Russia, Iran and Israel. Russia was among the top-three ally in last year’s study, which has slipped to 9th position this year.

The survey covered face-to-face interviews with 3,600 young Arab male and female citizens in 53 cities across a total of 18 Arab states from March 27 to April 12.

Sunil John, President, Mena, BCW and founder of Asda’a BCW, said all the respondents in this year’s study belong to Generation Z and the oldest were just in their teens when the epochal events of 2008 culminated in the Arab Spring.

“Like the generation before them who lived through the global financial crisis, they are coming to terms with a new reality defined, on the one hand, by simmering conflicts and the involvement of new world powers in regional affairs, and on the other, by regional governments seeking new alliances and a platform of their own on the world stage,” he said.

The region’s youth say they consider all the GCC countries and Egypt as strong allies. Qatar was named as 'a strong ally or somewhat of an ally’, followed by Kuwait, Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The US still has the most influence

Around 33 per cent of the Arab youth believe that the US continues to exert the most influence in the Arab world as compared to only eight per cent naming Russia, three per cent for Turkey as having the most influence, and four per cent identifying China.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are also among the top three nations that have the most influence over the region.

However, most of the Arab youth 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.

When it comes to the war in the Ukraine-Russia crisis, around 28 per cent of young Arabs believe diplomatic negotiations will lead to a compromise.

Iran-Israel ties to deteriorate

The survey found that around 60 per cent of Arab youth say that relations between Iran and Israel and the West will deteriorate into military conflict.

The youth are also pessimistic about the prospects for peace in the Palestinian Territories, with 55 per cent saying the 75-year conflict between Palestinians and Israelis won’t be resolved within the next five years.

Moreover, nearly four in 10 young Arabs overall believe that with rising national priorities, the conflict does not receive adequate attention from the Arab world, rising to more than half in the Levant region, which includes the Palestinian Territories.

“Overall, the Arab world has witnessed a reduction in armed conflict in recent years, with the situation in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen calmer than it was before,” said John.

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