The Middle East needs young people with hope

Hope is a powerful concept. The expectation of better times ahead, even in the most challenging circumstances, can energise people to endure difficulties and achieve great things. In the Middle East , home to a large and youthful population, the idea that people can improve their lives is vital for the region’s future. This point arose this week during a World Economic Forum convening in Dubai where UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Mohammed Al Gergawi, said a lack of hope among the region's young at a time of economic crisis and conflict was a major challenge. “Technology is important. Economy is important, but building society is very important – creating hope is very important,” Mr Al Gergawi told WEF founder Klaus Schwab as the two-day Global Future Councils meeting began. It is perhaps fitting that Dubai was the scene for this observation – the UAE has worked hard over the years to instil and foster a sense of optimism among its young people. From building a first-class education system, supporting entrepreneurship and helping young families, the Emirates has provided its young people with the tools for a successful and fulfilling life. The results of this investment are clear to people across the Middle East. Last year’s annual Arab Youth Survey – an important barometer of regional opinion – named the UAE as the most desirable country to live in for a 12th consecutive year. Among the reasons respondents gave were a growing economy (28 per cent) and the ease of starting a business (20 per cent). These two factors are vital to any discussion of building hope among the Middle East’s young people. They also go together with other important survey findings: for the first time in five years, more young people wanted to work in the private sector than for the government. More than 40 per cent – and more than a third of North Africans and young people from the Levant – wanted to start their own business. Based on this, it is fair to say that young people have hope. What they need now are the opportunities to make their dreams a reality. This can be done by more countries developing a policy toolkit that starts with providing basic stability but also encourages a strong private sector rooted in a robust legal and governance system that promotes, not stifles, entrepreneurship. As the chief executive of the Dubai Future Foundation said in yesterday’s closing session “agility is the secret sauce... to create a system to be closest to the most recent innovation”. With the right structures in place, a large youth population is an asset, not a problem to be managed. Providing hope to young people that they can receive a good education, land a rewarding job or start their own company is a challenge the world over. The annual WEF event in Dubai is just one example of the kind of brainstorming that is needed to come up with better answers. Next week will see the International Monetary Fund and World Bank hold their annual meetings in Washington; during the same week finance ministers and central bank governors from the G20 group of nations will also meet in the US capital, and the Brics countries will be meeting in the Russian city of Kazan. Gatherings such as these are not just an opportunity to discuss macroeconomics and technocratic solutions – they can make decisions that tell the next generation that things will indeed be better. In this context, hope is more than a buzzword – it is the foundation of building more stable, successful and prosperous societies.