‘Half of young Arabs” want to emigrate

Dubai

Nearly half of 200 million young Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have considered leaving their country, frustrated with struggling economies. This was according to the findings of the 12th Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey released yesterday.

The survey also reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic has further increased young Arabs’ desire to emigrate, with one-third of the region’s youth more likely to want to leave their country. Across the region, 42 percent of young Arabs have considered emigrating to another country.

The desire to leave is most prevalent (63 percent) among youth in the Levantine states of Leba-non, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, and Palestinian Territories. Meanwhile, young people in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are least likely (13 percent) to consider leaving.

The primary drivers of potential emigration are economic reasons (24 percent) and corruption (16 percent), with educational opportunities, new experiences and safety, and security also playing a significant role. The findings reveal the opinions of young Arabs on a range of subjects including gender rights, personal identity, employment, personal debt, foreign relations, and media consumption