The Arab youth is not a monolith: How do you empower the Middle East’s millennials and Gen Z?

Photo: Egyptian activist protesting against Morsi - Alexandria, Sidi Gaber, Egypt, 30 June 2013 / MidoSemsem / Shutterstock.com

At a median age of 23 in 2010, Muslims are the youngest of all major religious groups in the Middle East. The aspirations of this group are defined by context, socio-economic development, prosperity and literacy. How can stakeholders in the Islamic Economy empower the region’s Muslim millennials and Gen Z?

The aspirations of Middle Eastern youth have not changed significantly since the Arab Spring in 2011, according to one of the region’s longest-running youth surveys. Key findings of this year’s Asda’a Burson-Marsteller 16-country Arab Youth Survey (pdf), now in its eighth year, show a preference for stability over democracy, but with a positive shift in attitudes towards private sector employment and entrepreneurship.

Most respondents to the 2016 edition of the survey agreed that the new generation is more entrepreneurial than previous ones, with 36 percent saying they intend to start a business in the next five years. 54 percent overall and 62 percent in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agree that the younger generation is more likely to start a business than previous generations. Experts and analysts agree that this presents challenges to the governments in the region.