Gulf Roundtable: Youth in Revolt?
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been spared the unrest that recently swept many of its neighbors in the Middle East. Although many perceive a high degree of stability, the country faces many of the same socioeconomic ills that helped spark uprisings elsewhere: a massive youth bulge, high unemployment, an education gap, and gender inequality. Dr. Edit Schlaffer, of Women without Borders and Sisters Against Violent Extremism (SAVE), and Dr. Ulrich Kropiunigg, of the Medical University of Vienna, argued that young Saudis have largely ignored calls for public protests, but with over 60 percent of the population under the age of 30, shifting attitudes among youth will help determine Saudi Arabia’s course over the next decade and beyond. They delivered their remarks at a Gulf Roundtable held at CSIS on November 4, 2011.
