MIDDLE EAST Young Arabs no longer believe in democracy

This is revealed by the 2022 edition of the Arab Youth Survey. In the study, they interviewed thousands of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 from the MENA region. In 2009, the democratic system was a priority for 92%. Today, stability counts more; religious and cultural identity prevails over the globalized society. China is seen as a better and more reliable benchmark than the United States. The Arab spring and the wars, a factor that weighs.

Dubai () – The vast majority of young Arabs between the ages of 18 and 24 living in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are convinced that democracy, as a model of government, cannot work. For this region, “stability” is much more important than the possibility of enjoying freedoms and rights, at least as they are conceived in Western societies. It is what throws the 2022 edition of the Arab Youth Surveyan in-depth annual study that shows a radical change from the past: in 2009, when there was still no talk of the Arab Spring, the war in Syria or Isis, 92% of those interviewed considered it a “priority” to live in a nation democratic.

The survey carried out by Asda’a Bcw, an agency based in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with more than 200 employees and offices in 15 countries, annually traces the evolution of societies in the Middle East and North Africa region, with special attention to young people. For the 2022 edition, they interviewed 3,400 young men and women, representing all the countries in the region. 64% agree that democracy is “incompatible” with the region; the figure increases to 72% if nations such as Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Iraq are taken into account, marked by conflicts and polarization between political factions, while it drops to 52% in the case of the Gulf.

The vast majority of young Arabs, 82% of those surveyed, say that working for the stability of their country is more important than fighting to promote democracy. Natasha Ridge, executive director of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, says the result is “logical” given what young people in these countries have been through. The academic comments: “I can perfectly understand that young people prefer a stable regime” rather than a shaky democracy. And this is explained, in part, by the failed attempts and the conflicts unleashed in Iraq, Egypt and Syria. When they hear the word democracy”, she concludes, “this is their association of ideas”.

Turning to the research, almost two thirds (65%) believe that preserving religious and cultural identity is more important than creating a globalized society, and the figure rises to 75% in the Gulf. 35% consider that the increase in the cost of living and unemployment are the biggest obstacles facing the region, while the Palestinian cause and the Israeli occupation are only perceived as a priority by 29% of the young people surveyed. 31% blame NATO and the United States for the war in Ukraine (and exonerate Russia), while 37% do not know how to respond.

More than half (57%) choose the United Arab Emirates as the country they would like to live in, putting the UAE at the top of the list for the 11th consecutive year. In the last five years, young Arabs see China as a stronger and more strategic ally than the United States (78% of preferences). However, it should be noted that, although there is a negative perception of the democratic model, at least 63% of those surveyed say they benefit from greater rights and freedoms as a result of the uprisings and street protests of recent years. Even in the Gulf, 68% of young people believe they “enjoy greater rights” compared to 2010.

Looking to the future, cautious (and highly variable) optimism emerges: 54% are confident that they will have a better life than their parents, the highest number recorded in recent years. However, although among the Gulf countries the figure reaches 72%, in the Levante nations it drops to a measly 47%.