Like much of the world, the economy of the Middle East region has taken a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unemployment has been a top issue among young Arabs, and they are looking beyond traditional government and private sector jobs, but COVID-19 has made that more difficult. 

In the 2020 Arab Youth Survey, nearly half of young Arabs say they have considered leaving their country and one-third say they are more likely to emigrate due to COVID-19.

In this environment, what are newly graduated students choosing to do to bring in money and help their families? What are the opportunities in the region that may lead to improving economic growth? Will the region create new structures to aid entrepreneurs in starting businesses? Will startups and innovations in tech continue to grow on their own, or need additional help in this climate to continue success? As the whole world is considering how to bring our economies back to Pre-COVID levels, how should Americans be watching and reacting to changes in the Arab world? Will developments in the region impact us? 

The Hill will convene voices from the region and key policy leaders from the United States for the second in a three-part series that is looking at the aspirations and resilience of Arab youth and why that matters to America.