For the sixth consecutive year, the UAE has been picked as the top choice for young Arabs to live in, as per the 9th Annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey, and this is not a surprise, said a UAE daily.
"The country has become a beacon of hope for the region’s youth and for absolutely right reasons," said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Thursday.
The paper continued, "Just consider this: the UAE leads the Middle East in over a hundred pivotal development indicators. The nation leads globally in a number of indictors, such as the quality of public infrastructure, roads, maritime and aviation facilities, public safety and security, the rate of female enrolment in universities, government efficiency and trust in the government, among others.
"The country’s economy has doubled in the past ten years, from a GDP of AED663 billion to AED1,360 billion, an improvement which has provided jobs and underpinned considerable economic and commercial opportunities for the citizens and residents.
"What caps it all is the focus of the leadership on happiness of the people.
"Interestingly, preference for the UAE in the survey was so strong this year that it left other nations trailing, with the US a distant second at 15 percent, Saudi Arabia and Canada at 14 percent, and Germany rounding out the top five at 13 percent. Incidentally, the US dropped to 15 percent from 19 percent last year.
"Asked which country they would like their own country to emulate, the UAE again came on top, with more than a third, 36 percent, of young Arabs saying the UAE was their model country, compared to one in four, 23 percent, last year.
"Several other interesting factors emerged in the survey. Among Arab youth, the UAE is most strongly associated with safety and security, 31 percent, having a growing economy, 25 percent, wide range of work opportunities, 23 percent, and generous salary packages, 22 percent.
"A high quality education system, 17 percent, being a good place to raise a family, 17 percent, and ease of starting a business, 14 percent, are other positive attributes associated with the UAE.
"The UAE’s approach has been one of sharing and caring," concluded the Sharjah-based daily, adding, "As Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum mentioned: 'The UAE is a country for everyone; the ambitions of young Arabs align with ours, and our dream is for the entire Arab region to prosper'."

Source: WAM