US President Joe Biden. Most young Arabs believe the US would be a stronger ally than China over the next five years. AP
US President Joe Biden. Most young Arabs believe the US would be a stronger ally than China over the next five years. AP
US President Joe Biden. Most young Arabs believe the US would be a stronger ally than China over the next five years. AP
US President Joe Biden. Most young Arabs believe the US would be a stronger ally than China over the next five years. AP

Arab Youth Survey 2023: Six in 10 support US 'disengagement' from region


Patrick Ryan
  • English
  • Arabic

A third of young Arabs believe the US wields the most influence in the region, with a majority wanting this to change.

The US was viewed as the country holding the most sway in the Arab world (33 per cent), ahead of the UAE (11 per cent), Saudi Arabia and Israel (both 10 per cent) and Russia (8 per cent), by respondents to the Arab Youth Survey 2023.

Sixty-one per cent of those polled said they “strongly or somewhat support” US disengagement from Middle Eastern affairs.

However, 66 per cent also said they expected the US to be a stronger ally than Russia over the next five years, while 62 per cent said the US would be a stronger ally than China.

The survey was conducted before recent comments from a former US senior official who told The National his opinion on his country's involvement in the region.

"There's no viable alternative for Middle East countries to an alliance with the United States," said Joel Rayburn, a retired army general and former adviser to General Petraeus in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The great bulk of the blame lies at the feet of the US," he said, as countries in the Gulf were seeking alternatives to the US for support in resolving the region's conflicts.

The role of the US in the Middle East was often misunderstood, said another expert.

"The US is often blamed for anything that goes wrong in the region and also for not acting to prevent unpopular or mysterious developments," said Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute and a columnist for The National.

"The US role in the Middle East is badly misunderstood. The US is depicted as either an unreliable and feckless partner or an imperial and predatory power, depending on the spin from the outlet [which was reporting at the time].

"US support for Israel and a disinclination to pressure it on Palestinian rights dominates the image of the US in a highly negative manner among young Arabs."

However, the negative view of the US among young Arabs is not completely its own fault, as Middle Eastern countries could do more to explain its role, added Mr Ibish.

"Washington’s regional partners should do much better in explaining why and how the US role in the region is a huge benefit to most Arab countries," he said.

"All the GCC states have a partnership with the US at the core of their national security policies and security strategies.

"This is the reality but isn’t reflected in most of the Arab media, with rare exceptions. That gap between reality and perception is very damaging."

Young Arabs view Turkey as the region's biggest ally among non-Arab nations, followed closely by China, the UK, Germany and France.

Russia, a top three ally in last year’s survey, has fallen to ninth place on the list.

The Arab Youth Survey took place in March this year and polled the views of 3,600 people aged between 18 and 24 through a series of face-to-face interviews across 18 countries the Middle East and North Africa.

Israel was named as the country that most young Arabs (86 per cent) see as an adversary, followed by Iran (57 per cent) and Russia (32 per cent).

“All the respondents in this year’s study belong to Generation Z and the oldest were just into their teens when the epochal events of 2008 culminated in the Arab Spring,” said Sunil John, founder of Asda'a BCW, the PR agency that conducts the annual survey.

“Like the generation before them who lived through the global financial crisis, they are coming to terms with a new reality defined, on the one hand, by simmering conflicts and the involvement of new world powers in regional affairs, and on the other by regional governments seeking new alliances and a platform of their own on the world stage.”

Among Arab nations, Qatar is most widely regarded as an ally (92 per cent), followed by Kuwait (91 per cent), Egypt (89 per cent), the UAE (88 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (86 per cent).

As for the invasion of Ukraine, the highest proportion of respondents – 28 per cent – said the conflict was most likely to be resolved by diplomatic means.

However, a quarter of those polled said they expected the war to continue for a long time with no resolution.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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GOLF’S RAHMBO

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Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)

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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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A new relationship with the old country

Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates

The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.

ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.

ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.

DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.

Signed

Geoffrey Arthur  Sheikh Zayed

The five pillars of Islam
Famous left-handers

- Marie Curie

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- David Bowie

- Paul McCartney

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- Barack Obama

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Updated: June 20, 2023, 9:28 AM`