Social Media, Employment and Entrepreneurship: New Frontiers for the Economic Empowerment of Arab Youth

Abstract

Since the spark of the popular movements across the Arab world, the critical debate about Arab youth’s political empowerment and the innovative uses of social media has been ongoing in policy and academic circles. Meanwhile, the Arab world continues to witness exponential growth in social media usage, merging online and offline identities among a significant percentage of young Arabs; this continues to play a critical role in shaping new dynamics in Arab societies. Almost two years later, many more questions beyond the impact on political empowerment of Arabs are increasingly being asked by policy makers and business leaders; the most critical of which is: Can this same phenomena also play a similar role in the economic empowerment of the most active group in society, the Arab youth? This paper is intended to provoke thought leadership discussions in private and public sector decisions making circles in 8 surveyed countries. Key findings of this survey provide evidence confirming that changes in the sense of empowerment is taking place within large segments in Arab societies.