Survey: 67% of young Arabs consider Arabic-language content outdated — The National
A survey of young Arabs was presented in Abu Dhabi, UAE, according to which 71% of respondents prefer media content in Arabic, but 67% consider it outdated compared with English-language content. The National reports on the study's findings.
How young people use Arabic
The Congress ACI Arab Youth Pulse Survey 2025 was conducted by Ipsos and the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre. It involved 4,092 people aged 18 to 25 from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE.
Arabic occupies an important place in the private lives of those surveyed: 91% use it at home, while 85% use it when communicating with friends. At the same time, the share drops to 64% at school, university or work and to 60% during online learning. English was described by 77% of respondents as necessary to achieve their goals.
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Ali bin Tamim, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, said the results should prompt institutions to assess whether young people associate Arabic with their professional future. According to him, it is necessary to create opportunities that will encourage young people to use the language when searching for work and accessing other opportunities.
Demand for modern formats
At the same time, survey participants are not abandoning Arabic: 77% said they feel pride when they see the language in a modern environment, while 76% said they express themselves more confidently in it. Another 76% believe Arabic strengthens their connection to their roots. Meanwhile, 74% are convinced that it should evolve in line with the ways young people learn, create and work.
The findings were discussed at the fifth Congress of Arabic Language and Creative Industries at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Participants spoke about publishing, artificial intelligence, cinema, music and intellectual property. Egyptian screenwriter and producer Mohamed Hefzy linked the shortage of modern Arabic-language content to an underdeveloped system for financing creative projects. Noor Sweid, founder of Global Ventures, urged young companies to seek revenue models beyond traditional advertising and to start with small projects capable of proving audience demand.
