Government and media experts gathered to discuss the findings of a recent Asda'a Burson-Marsteller Arab youth survey, reports Rania Moussly for GulfNews.

The survey interviewed 2,000 Arab youth, aged 18 through 24, about their beliefs and attitudes about various topics, from democracy to their favorite leisure activities. The survey included participants from nine countries: Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon.

In an interview for Arabian Business, Mohammed Basri, a 21 year old accountant-in-training in the United Arab Emirates, spoke about some of the points targeted in the survey, such as the popularity of the iPhone and his personal response to President Obama's speech in Cairo. “The thing is, it doesn't really matter what I say or think, because nobody is actually interested in the voice of Arab youths anymore,” he lamented.

However, it appears that the tides are changing. Many experts are intrigued by the results of the survey, which show that many Arab youth place a premium on democracy. According to Shane McGinley at Arabian Business, 99 percent of Kuwaiti participants and 96 percent of respondents in the UAE considered living in a democratic country to be 'very important' or 'somewhat important' to them.

Karen Hughes, vice-chair of Burson-Marsteller and former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, spoke optimistically about the survey's findings. “All young people across the world want to be heard and want to play a part in their society. These are not American ambitions, they are universal human rights and universal desires,” she stated.

However, some are questioning exactly what kind of democracy the Arab youth envisions. Not necessarily a Western-style democracy, according to Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi. “I don't think they meant democracy per se, as in they want to go to the ballet [sic] boxes. Democracy is a byword for accountability and having a fair shot at life,” the chairman of the UAE chapter of the Young Arab Leaders told Arabian Business.

Paradoxically, a majority of the survey's participants expressed satisfaction with their respective governments. High satisfaction rates were recorded in the Gulf region; 81 percent of respondents in the UAE and 98 percent of those from Saudi Arabia believed that their countries are “moving in the right direction.”

“I think the fact that young people both say that they want to live in a democratic country but also say that they are by-and-large very happy with the direction of their countries means the leaders are doing a good job of involving people and listening to them,” Hughes surmised.

Egyptian and Lebanese youth, however, recorded lower rates of satisfaction with their governments. Hughes speculated that the results in Egypt and Lebanon were most likely connected with increased economic dissatisfaction.

Some experts were hesitant to view the survey's results in an entirely positive light. Many Arab youth are connected to the television and the internet, often at the expense of other activities. Another finding from the survey indicated that issues such as the rise of extreme Islamist movements and international conflicts ranked at the bottom of a list of twenty priority concerns.

Najla Al-Awadi, deputy chief executive officer of Dubai Media Incorporated and Member of the UAE Federal National Council, viewed this apathy as a hurdle in Arab societies, many of which have disproportionately youthful populations. “If the youth aren't aware of [the problems] then we need to worry about their apathy or lack of awareness about serious issues facing our region,” she added.

For the present, election turnout and voting results may be a more accurate indicator for the future of democracy in the Middle East. In an article for Gulf News, Mohammad Akef Jamal stressed the importance of the 2010 Iraqi parliamentary elections.

“The outcome of the Iraqi elections is crucial in outlining the future of Iraq as a country. The outcome is also exceptionally important on a number of other levels,” Jamal asserts. Speaking of the greater scope of the election's importance, he stated. “Regionally, the expected and demanded change in Iraq is the only route towards the country's stability; hence the map of new balances in the region will be drawn.”

Although the voter turnout was approximately 62 percent, the elections were marred by bombings, which killed dozens of Iraqis and prevented many citizens from going to the polls. The violence surrounding the elections presents a sobering picture of the realities of democracy building.

Ultimately, Karen Hughes remains hopeful about the future of democracy in the Middle East. “[The leaders] are beginning to make people feel that they do have a voice in the process and that their opinions are being heard,” she observed.