Preface
For the previous 11 years, the UAE has topped the list of places where young Arabs aspire to live.
According to Arab Youth Survey, 18-24-year-olds want their countries to be like the UAE.
These findings came from in-person interviews with 3,400 Arabs across 17 Middle Eastern and North African nations.
key study findings
When asked where they would most like to live, 57% of respondents said the United Arab Emirates.
The most important things to Arab youth are job prospects, high-quality education, and preserving the region’s cultural traditions and values. The UAE does admirably in each of these areas.
The United States (24%) and Canada (20%) were the following two most popular options. With 15%, France and Germany shared fourth place.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Dubai’s vice president, and ruler, was pleased that the UAE came in first.
The UAE is where 51% of young people from the Levant have chosen to reside. 63% of Gulf residents and 51% of young people from North Africa chose it as their country of choice.
According to IMF data, the Middle East and North Africa have one of the worst youth unemployment rates. Young people have difficulty finding work and coping with inflation.
According to the study, young Emiratis favor the nation’s expansion.
The recent decision to extend the validity of residency visas was supported by 94% of Emiratis. More than half, 54%, indicated they agree that unmarried couples should be able to live together. As many as 84% felt that residents should be able to own onshore businesses wholly.
More than half of the young Arab respondents to the survey believed their lives would be better than their parent’s.
Reason behind young people’s preferences
45% of those surveyed in the region stated they were actively seeking to leave or were seriously considering leaving their countries. More than half believed their country’s economy was heading in the wrong direction.
According to the study, the UAE has maintained its leadership due to its robust economy, high standard of living, abundant employment opportunities, and strong governance.
To mitigate the impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak, the government changed visa requirements and initiatives to promote investment. This demonstrated that Emirates was taking action on young people’s important topics.
People like the UAE all around the region. When the question was added to the survey in 2012, about 33% of people chose it as the country where they would like to live. Last year, 47% of people said they wanted the country the most. This year, nearly two-thirds, or 57%, say they like it the most.
The UAE stands out by respecting cultural customs, being an excellent place to raise a family, having a top-notch educational system, welcoming foreigners, and making it easy to start a business and obtain a visa.
The findings demonstrated that the UAE fared better than other Arab nations. Rising living expenses were cited as the most significant issue by 45% of Emirati youth, while unemployment was cited as the most critical issue by 27%.
According to the report, more than half (48%) of UAE citizens believe finding work is uncomplicated. Ninety-one percent of Emirati youngsters believed their most excellent days remained ahead, and everyone supported the nation’s economic course.