GCC Youth Survey Report

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  • Middle East Policy

    Middle East Policy has been one of the world’s most cited publications on the region since its inception in 1982, and our Breaking Analysis series makes high-quality, diverse analysis available to a broader audience.

This report seeks to shed light on how young people from the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries feel about culture, identity, and society. Data points based on an anonymous survey show how young GCC nationals view topics such as the impact of social media on local society, economic diversification away from oil and gas, and traditional gender roles. Responses are segmented based on age, gender, and nationality. While most responses are on a numerical scale, some are open-ended, allowing for an analysis of keywords.

 
Across the survey, Qataris are consistently the most conservative nationality. Overall, the youngest age group is often the most conservative and women are generally more conservative than men. Emirati responses typically fall near Qatari ones, on the conservative side of the spectrum. Omanis and Bahrainis are relatively liberal, often joined by Kuwaitis. Saudi responses typically fall in the middle on questions gauging the degree of conservatism. When it comes to the economy and resources, the two wealthiest GCC countries per capita, Qatar and the UAE, are the least concerned about the resource curse and the negative effect of wealth and privilege on the local workforce. 

  • Middle East Policy

    Middle East Policy has been one of the world’s most cited publications on the region since its inception in 1982, and our Breaking Analysis series makes high-quality, diverse analysis available to a broader audience.

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