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Saudi Arabian students in school. Because schools are segregated by sex, there are only males in the class.

Youth in Saudi Arabia consists of citizens that are part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(KSA) and are between the ages of 15 and 24. In 2015, the estimated population was around 30.89 million, and thirteen million were under the age of thirty.[1][2] Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is the current King of Saudi Arabia, and the government enforces a strict form of Islam called Wahhabi as the national religion.[3]

Religion affects the lives of Saudi youth in the areas of family formation, education, and political activism. Islam teaches youth that family should be central to their lives and to respect their parents.[4] Education in Saudi Arabia largely focuses on learning Islam and memorization.[5] According to a survey done by the Boston Consulting Group in 2014 and an article in the International Business Times, these focuses contribute to the employment difficulties of youth because they are not learning the skills that employers are looking for.[2][4]

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia's Public Education Development Program is working towards addressing the weaknesses of education, and King Salman is trying to ensure that Saudi youth have better chances of finding employment through a policy called "Saudization"[2][6]

Due to the Wahhabi religious doctrine, Saudi youth face difficulties being active participants in politics, but surveys show they are wanting more of a say in their country's political policies and are achieving this by using popular media.[7][8]

Two health concerns that are present in Saudi youth are smoking and obesity. A 2011 study done in Riyadh found that smoking rates among Saudi youth were "high and alarming".[9] Also, more than half of the Saudi population over sixteen was deemed obese in 2014.[10]

Youth Policy

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No national youth policy currently exists; however, the Ministry of Economy and Planning and the United Nations Development Programme worked together between 2009-2013 in order to make a 'national youth strategy.'[8] The National Youth Strategy Project received "$1,182,720 and aimed at“enhancing participation of youth in national development processes…” ".[8] Under the Ninth Developmental Plan, Saudi Arabia's primary governmental agency that is responsible for youth and youth programming is the General Presidency for Youth Welfare, which has a budget of $1.9 billion.[8]

The Ninth Development Plan (2010-2014) has a youth chapter that focuses on youth development. Some of the areas that the plan addresses are health, employment and education.[8]

Religion

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Ninety-seven percent of the respondents (youth), in a 2014 survey, said that Islam was either "very important" or "important" in shaping who they are as a person. However, sympathy or agreement with the Al-Qaeda vision of Islam or its ideology is not common among young Saudis because the government of Saudi Arabia termed it as a "deviant" view of Islam.[11]

Due to increased media participation and education,young Saudis are forming their own ideas and views about what is religiously acceptable.[11] According to Caryle Murphy's article,Saudi Arabia’s Youth and the Kingdom’s Future, "younger Saudis do not defer to the clerics’ pronouncements to the same extent as their older siblings and parents did".[11]

Family formation

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The teachings of Islam strongly emphasize the family as central in a person's life as well as showing respect towards parents.[4] Ninety-eight percent of young Saudi's that responded to a 2014 survey had as one of their goals to make their parents proud.[4] Eighty-six percent of respondents to the same survey said that they "socialize face-to-face with their parents and relatives every day".[4]

Traditionally, the family in Saudi Arabia was very hierarchical, with the male ruling over the female and the old ruling over the young.[12] Women were seen as crucial to maintaining the structure of the family by assuming the tasks of managing the house and taking care of the children.[13] Today, however, women are are not confined to the house, which is evidenced by the fact that many more are receiving an education and working outside the home.[13]

Young people are also delaying the age at which they get married, according to Saudi Arabia's Ninth Development Plan.[14] Studies from this plan show that between the years of 1979 and 2007, there was an increase in the age of marriage, with males being 1.9 years older and females being 4.6 years older.[14] The high cost of marriage ceremonies as well as getting and furnishing a home are two reasons that the Ninth Development Plan cites for youth delaying marriage.[14]

Education

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Education is overseen by the Ministry of Education (Saudi Arabia), and the Saudi Arabia 2015 budget increased spending on education by three percent($58 billion).[2]

The primary school enrollment percentage was about 110% in 2014 (% gross), according to the World Bank Group.[15] This percentage has been continuously increasing.[15] In 2013, the Net Enrollment Rate in secondary school for both sexes was 91.55%.[8]

Students attend primary school starting at the age of six until they are twelve years old. They then go to intermediate school from ages twelve to fifteen, and secondary school from ages fifteen to eighteen[5]

Schools are segregated by sex, boys are taught by male teachers, while girls are primarily taught by female teachers.[5] Not until 1960, under the rule of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, did the first public schools become established for girls.[16] It was believed that a woman's proper role was in the home and taking care of the children as well as religious men believed that if women left the home, it would corrupt society.[16] Educating women would corrupt society because it was thought that women would engage with strange men if not kept in the home, which is against religious beliefs.[16] Originally, women's education did not include as many subjects as men's education had and focused on domestic-science.[12] They were taught how to be a good mother and wife.[16] Starting in the 2000's and continuing with the establishment of King Abdullah's Public Education Development Project, women are now able to study the same subjects as men.[16]

Curriculum that is being taught to students in Saudi Arabia has a strong religious base, specifically Islamic teachings.[5] It emphasizes memorization, rather than solving the problem.[5] Because few employers utilize these skills in their business, it is increasingly difficult for young Saudis to find a job.[2] In response to the educational shortcomings, King Abdullah established his Public Education Development Project, which was launched in 2007. This was an approximately $3 billion dollar program designed to improve public education.[6] Some of the goals that are stated in this project are "improving the educational environment and preparing to utilize information and communication technology (ICT) in education to stimulate learning. This is in order to achieve a higher level of efficiency in acquiring information and training, as well as strengthening personal and creative capabilities, developing skills and hobbies, satisfying psychological needs of students, and strengthening ideas as well as national and social relations through extra-curricular activities of various kinds".[6] The Public Education Development Project and King Abdullah's scholarship seeks to help students develop problem solving skills as well as a comprehensive world view by allowing students to study in other countries of the world.[2][16]

The Ninth Development Plan also addresses some policies that can be implemented in order to make the educational system better. For example, it aims to widen the participation of youth in school and university activities, which would make the school more connected to society.[14]

Even with these two plans in place, there is still criticism of the educational system of Saudi Arabia.[2] In 2014, almost half of the students at the primary and secondary education level were not "learning a the levels they should be",and one in three Saudi youth said that education was in their top three areas of concern.[4] Saudi youth believed that they were receiving a good education in terms of Islamic teachings and basic academic subjects; however, they did not feel that they were being adequately prepared to do well in the work force. These feelings emanated from not being taught "soft skills",such as problem solving, teamwork and collaboration, effective communication and critical thinking, that are valued by private-sector employers.[4]

In 2013, fifty-eight percent (gross percent) of the Saudi population was enrolled in tertiary education; however, it is estimated that sixty-three percent of the degrees that students get are not "useful for private-sector jobs".[17][2]

Employment and high cost of living

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In 2015, the estimated unemployment rate for Saudi's that are between the ages of sixteen and twenty-nine is twenty-nine percent.[2] Approximately 1.9 million Saudi's will enter the labor force in the next decade.[2]

Career opportunities as well as the high cost of living were cited as concerns among Saudi youth.[4] Both of these areas had regional disparities. For example, forty-three percent of respondents from the northern part of the country said that career opportunities were a great concern; whereas only twenty-three percent of respondents from the center part of the country, which includes the capital: Riyadh, cited this as a concern.[4] The differences in responses could be the result of a greater amount of jobs being available in the capital, according to the 2014 survey done.[4]

In terms of the high cost of living, nearly sixty percent of respondents cited this as one of their top three concerns.[4] The survey also quoted a young Saudi saying that “currently, salaries are very low, and the cost of living is very high. If a young man earns 3,000 or 4,000 riyals per month, how can he afford the cost of living when he might be spending around 200 or 300 riyals per day?”[4] It was more likely that youth from the east and the south cited this as a top concern than youth that resided in the center.[4]

Youth in this country are concerned with the amount of foreigners employed within the country because they limit the amount of jobs "native" Saudi's can get.[2] In 2013, it was estimated that about 7.5 million foreigners were legally working within the country.[18] King Salman and the kingdom's ministries are trying to address this situation through a process known as "Saudization". "Saudization" is a national movement that seeks to increase the amount of citizens employed within the country.[2] One way that this movement is reaching this goal is by requiring employers to meet quotas of Saudi workers.[2]

Suffrage and political engagement

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Males are allowed to vote at twenty-one years old.[19] As of recently, females are also allowed to vote, starting with the Municipal Elections elections that will be held in December 2015.[20] However, they will only be allowed to vote at the municipal level elections.[20]

Saudi youth are not as politically active as youth in other countries because the government has harsh penalties, for example "arbitrary arrest and long-term detention," for anyone that speaks out against government policies.[11] Access to any improvements that the government tries to make in regards to unemployment compensation, housing availability and education would be lost if there was protest or explicit discontent with the government.[11] In addition,The Wahhabi religious doctrine,which the country promotes, states that "opposition to the government, especially street protests, is religiously forbidden."[11]

Support for the government is common among Saudi youth, despite these limitations.[11] Yet, Saudi youth are wanting more of a say in governmental policies and procedures due to their increased exposure to the world through social media and the difficulties they are facing (unemployment, living costs and education).[2] In 2012, it was estimated that YouTube use in the country increased 260%, and an estimated one-third of Saudi's are active Twitter users.[4][7] Saudi youth will use Twitter in order to voice their discontent over a lack of political rights, and sixty-three percent, in a 2011 survey, said that they would like the government to give them increased participation and access to formulating and implementing policy at the local level.[7][8]

Health risks

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Two health concerns that are present in Saudi youth are smoking and obesity.

A study that was done in 2011 in the city of Riyadh among 16-18 year-olds in secondary schools concluded that smoking prevalence was "high and alarming".[9] Out of 1272 students studied, the percentage of students that were currently smoking was about 19.5% (31.2% of boys and 8.9% of girls), and the percentage of students that had smoked before was about 42.8% (55.6% of boys and 31.4% of girls).[9] Smoking habits are linked to males, friends that smoke and parents that smoke.[9] Some of the reasons why youth smoke are because it is believed to make people "look more comfortable" as well as make people of the opposite sex more attractive.[9] It was found that 88.4% of students believe that smoking is harmful to one's health, but only 31.8% of students wanted to quite smoking now.[9] The authors of this study believe that educational programs on the risks of smoking need to be implemented in schools in order to reduce smoking rates.[9]

A study done in the Nutrition Journal in 2010 among male students (18–24 years) at the College of Health Sciences at Rass, Qassim University, found that 21.8% of students were overweight and 15.7% were obese.[21] These percentages were calculated by measuring the student's body mass index(BMI), body fat percent (BF%) and visceral fat level (VFL).[21] In addition, according to an article written in Arab News, seven out of ten Saudis suffered from obesity in 2014, and thirty-seven percent of Saudi women face health problems due to being overweight.[10] Almost sixty percent of the population over age sixteen was overweight.[10]

See also

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Sources

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  1. ^ "Saudi Arabia | Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glum, Julia (January 23, 2015). "Saudi Arabia's Youth Unemployment Problem Among King Salman's Many New Challenges After Abdullah's Death". Retrieved October 22, 2015 – via Web.
  3. ^ U.S. Department of State. "International Religious Freedom Report of 2004". Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hildebrandt, Joerg; El Abbouri, Mohamed; Alibraheem, Mishary (June 10, 2014). "What Matter's Most to Saudi Arabia's Youth?:Helping Policy Makers Address the National Challenges". Boston Consulting Group.
  5. ^ a b c d e Yackley-Franken, Nicki (2007). Teens in Saudi Arabia. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books. pp. 9–25. ISBN 978-0-7565-2074-8.
  6. ^ a b c "King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Public Education Development Project | SUSRIS". susris.com. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
  7. ^ a b c Coleman, Isobel (March 20, 2013). "Insight: Youth, Change, and the Future of Saudi Arabia". Retrieved October 29, 2015 – via Web.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Saudi Arabia: Youth Factsheets". April 21, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Al Ghobain, Mohammed O.; Al Moamary, Mohamed S.; Al Shehri, Sulieman N.; AL-Hajjaj, Mohamed S. (July–September 2011). "Prevalence and characteristics of cigarette smoking among 16 to 18 years old boys and girls in Saudi Arabia". Annals of Thoracic Medicine. doi:10.4103/1817-1737.82447. Retrieved October 22, 2015.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  10. ^ a b c Khan, Fouzia (February 17, 2014). "70% of Saudis are obese, says study". Retrieved October 29, 2015 – via Web.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Murphy, Caryle."Saudi Arabia's Youth and the Kingdom's Future." Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. 2011: 1-8. PDF.https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/Saudi%20Arabia%E2%80%99s%20Youth%20and%20the%20Kingdom%E2%80%99s%20Future%20FINAL.pdf
  12. ^ a b Booth, Marilyn (June 2012). "Arab Adolescents Facing the Future: Enduring Ideals and Pressures to Change". The World's Youth: Adolescence in Eight Regions of the Globe. Cambridge University Press. pp. 207–242. ISBN 9780511613814.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  13. ^ a b "Saudi Arabia: Family". dpuadweb.depauw.edu. Retrieved 2015-10-30.
  14. ^ a b c d Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. "The Ninth Development Plan." 2010-2014: 313-330. PDF file. http://www.youthpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/library/2010_Saudi_Arabia_Ninth_Development_Plan_Eng.pdf
  15. ^ a b World Bank Group (2014). "Saudi Arabia". Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Alharbi, Fahad (December 2014). [www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=52802[%5b%5bPredatory publishing|predatory publisher%5d%5d] "The Development of Curriculum for Girls in Saudi Arabia"]. Creative Education. doi:10.4236/ce.2014.524226. Retrieved October 29, 2015. {{cite journal}}: Check |url= value (help)CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  17. ^ "School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) | Data | Table". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
  18. ^ "New Plan to Nab Illegals Revealed". April 16, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2015 – via Web.
  19. ^ "The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
  20. ^ a b Watkins, Eli (August 23, 2015). "Saudi suffragettes: Women register to vote for the first time in Saudi Arabia". Retrieved October 22, 2015 – via Web.
  21. ^ a b Al-Rethaiaa, Abdallah S.; Fahmy, Alaa-Eldin A; Al-Shwaiyat, Naseem M. (2010). "Obesity and eating habits among college students in Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional study" (PDF). Nutrition Journal. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-9-39. Retrieved October 22, 2015.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)

Category:Saudi Arabia Category:Saudi Arabian people Category:Youth by country

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