Survey: Arab youths want democracy

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 15 (UPI) -- Young people in the Middle East view living in a democracy as their top priority, a survey of 2,000 young Arabs in 10 countries indicates.

The survey conducted by public relations company Burson-Marsteller found after democracy, Arab youths were most concerned about the rising cost of living in their countries, Gulf News reported Tuesday.

Other findings revealed by the survey indicated the gap between rich and poor in the Middle East worried young people.

There was also an increasing desire among Arab youths to work in the private sector and start businesses.

They viewed television as their most trusted news source, the survey found.

The survey was conducted in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.

Those interviewed were 18 to 24 years of age.

There was no information on exactly when the survey was conducted other than to say that 1,500 interviews occurred before January and 500 after January.