Point of View

Edward Sayre and Samantha Constant analyze how the youth bulge in the Middle East and associated pressures in the education and labor markets have triggered recent political events in the region and what governments must do to meet the economic challenges that remain and will remain even in the context of political reforms. This commentary was originally published in the National Journal on February 19, 2011.

In the fourth in a series of analyses, "Food, Fuel, and Finance: How Will the Middle East Weather the Global Economic Crisis?", the Middle East Youth Initiative interviews two prominent regional economists, Taher Kanaan and Nader Kabbani, on the impact of the global economic slowdown on the economies of Jordan and Syria, respectively. Edited transcripts of the two conversations follow.

MEYI’s Youth Ambassador Think Tank is a forum to encourage active discussion on topics of timely relevance to Middle Eastern youth. Our third topic asks if the current economic climate has affected the popularity of development and related career paths among young people in the region.

MEYI’s Youth Ambassador Think Tank is a forum to encourage active discussion on topics of timely relevance to Middle Eastern youth. Our second topic deals with regional reactions to the upcoming U.S. elections.