The findings of an Arab youth survey, said to be the largest independent study of its kind of the region’s largest demographic, will be released in Dubai on April 7.
The Arab Youth Survey, described as a “ground-breaking initiative” of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller – a leading public relations consultancy of the region – will be launched at a “high-profile” panel discussion, featuring Fadi Ghandour, executive chairman of Wamda Capital and founder of Aramex; Noura al-Kaabi, CEO of Media Zone Authority-Abu Dhabi (twofour54); Khaled al-Maeena, Saudi media and political analyst; and Jawad Nabulsi, founder and CEO of the Nebny Foundation.
The panel will be moderated by Andrew Neil, presenter of the BBC’s Daily Politics show, chairman of The Spectator and ITP Publishing Group. It will feature a keynote address from Don Baer, worldwide chair and CEO of Burson-Marsteller and chairman of the international polling firm Penn Schoen Berland (PSB).
The survey, conducted by PSB, involved 3,500 face-to-face interviews with men and women aged 18-24, covering 16 countries – and is the largest since the annual study began in 2008. The countries included are the six Gulf Co-operation Council countries (the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain), Algeria, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen – with Palestine added for the first time this year.
In front of an audience of local dignitaries and VIPs, the four experts will debate the implications of the findings for governments, the business community, the media and wider civil society, as well as potential policy and decision-making changes needed to address the concerns of Arab youth.
Sunil John, chief executive officer of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, said: “Every year ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller conducts the Arab Youth Survey because we understand how important it is to access reliable data here in the Middle East, where research into public opinion is often limited. This substantial investment in thought leadership, demonstrates our firm belief in the principle of evidence-based communications.
He said: “In the six years since we started the Arab Youth Survey, the region has witnessed dramatic social and political change, much of which is evident in the findings that we have produced. Our Arab Youth Survey has become a barometer of how Middle East youth perceive the changes in their country and the wider region and of whether their aspirations are being met. There are some remarkable findings that can benefit policy makers as well as businesses in reaching out to the 200mn-strong youth population in the Arab region.”
For the sixth annual edition of the survey, respondents were interviewed in-depth on subjects ranging from the political to the personal.
The April 7 event will be live streamed at ArabYouthSurvey.com/live. A detailed White Paper on the findings of the survey 2013 will be available from April 7 at the website www.arabyouthsurvey.com