UAE’s favorite country to live in, says Arab youth for 12th consecutive year

Dubai: Most admired for its safe and secure environment, growing economy, effective leadership, clean environment and ease of starting a business, the UAE was voted their favorite place to live by Arab youth for the 12th year in a row since being asked to name it A country they consider a “model country,”

They also chose the UAE as the country they most hope to emulate. The United States and Canada ranked second and third, respectively, for the third year in a row.

Notably, three GCC countries, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, appear in the top five list of Arab Youth Model Countries for the first time in nine years.

Young Arab men and women now say they would rather live in Qatar than the UK, with Saudi Arabia joint fifth on the list of countries they most want their country to emulate.

These findings on model nations form some of the key insights from the landmark 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, released today by ASDA’A BCW, the leading communications consultancy in the Middle East and North Africa, under the theme ” Living in a new ‘reality’.

The annual survey is the largest study of its kind on the largest population in the Arab world (more than 200 million youth).

ASDA’A BCW commissioned leading research firm SixthFactor Consulting to conduct face-to-face interviews with 3,600 of the country’s Arab citizens aged 18-24 between March 27 and April 12.

The largest sample in the history of the survey was evenly distributed between men and women in 53 cities in a total of 18 Arab countries, including South Sudan for the first time.

Interviews were deliberately conducted in-person rather than online to maximize accuracy and reflect as much as possible the nuances of Arab youth opinion across the region.

Nearly a quarter of young Arabs (24%) list the UAE as the country they most want to live in, followed by the US (19%), Canada (19%), Qatar (14%) and the UK (13%).

Qatar has broken into the top five model nations for the first time in eight years, reflecting the favorable atmosphere surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

For the 12th year in a row, the UAE was also named the country most Arab youth would like to emulate themselves. The UAE is identified as the United Arab Emirates by 22% of young Arab men and women, placing fifth ahead of the US (19%), Canada (16%), Qatar (15%) and Saudi Arabia and the UK (11%). This is the first time since 2017 that Saudi Arabia has been selected as a model country.

As in previous surveys, the UAE’s MFN status is due to a combination of factors. According to Arab youth surveyed in 18 states this year, their top five characteristics were safety and security (41%), economic growth (28%), effective and “visionary” leadership (24%), a clean environment ( 22%)), and the ease of starting a business (20%).

The UAE is also widely praised as a great place to raise a family (19%) for its abundance of job opportunities (17%), quality of schools (16%), strong cultural identity and traditions (16%), and good salaries (13%). Ease of obtaining a UAE residency visa was another plus for 12% of respondents.

“The UAE remains a guiding light for Arab youth in search of jobs, opportunity and the freedom to reach their full potential,” said Sunil John, BCW Middle East and North Africa President and founder of ASDA’A BCW. Elsewhere in the Global Economy Uncertainty over the crisis only underscores the winning qualities of the country and its leadership’s good vision.”

“Today, as GCC economies become dynamic hubs for trade, finance, tourism, education and healthcare, they are increasingly investing in world-class infrastructure.”

“Young Arabs see these countries as model countries because they appreciate the opportunities for job creation and prosperity, and the potential to achieve a better, more fulfilling life for themselves.”

“Qatar’s rise as one of the top five countries to live in and emulate is particularly notable,” John said. “This reflects the huge positive impact of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which took place in November and December last year; there is no doubt that the event has a stimulating effect on both the regional economy and Arab pride,” he added.