OpEd: Tomorrow's World - Inside The Minds Of Arab Youth

By Mohd Ahsanuddin Haseeb
Principal Gulf Editor in Jeddah, KSA

With the legacy of the Arab Spring waning, Arab youth are uncertain whether democracy could ever work in the Middle East.

Confidence among Arab youth that the Arab Spring would bring positive change across the region is declining. In 2015, just 38 percent agree that the Arab world is better off following the Arab Spring, compared to 54 percent in 2014, 70 percent in 2013, and 72 percent in 2012. Similarly, fewer than half (41 percent) agree they will be better off in five years following the uprisings, down from 58 percent in 2014, 74 percent in 2013, and 71 percent in 2012.

The continued regional turmoil appears to weigh heavily on Arab youth outside the GCC region. When asked to think about the Arab world following the uprisings, 35 percent in North Africa and 25 percent in the Levant think it is better off, while looking ahead at the next five years, just 39 percent in North Africa and 26 percent in the Levant feel they will be better off.