아랍 스프링 전후 사우디 청년층의 변화 요구와 향후 전망

Saudi Youth's Request For Change and Their Future Before & After Arab Spring

The purpose of this research is to investigate Saudi youth's concerns on the future, and their request for social, educational, economical changes before & after Arab Spring. Their concerns are more related with the economy than politics and social stability. Two thirds of Saudi's 29 million person is under the age of 30. The consequences of this large youth segment will affect Saudi's politics, economy, and society in the future. Because they will be a major workforce within 10 years. So Saudi government has to create more jobs for them, and decrease the number of foreign workers. Economically they are afraid of the high cost of living and the availability of affordable housing. As for the education system, young Saudis consider their system is effective for teaching them Islam and basic academic subjects. However, they have expressed discontents on the lack of practical education system, problem solving skill, effective communication, and critical thinking. The lack of practical education system and its skills is closely related with the lack of career opportunities. The development of practical education system will produce various changes in the fields of gender issue, girls' education, allowing to drive, modification of the dress code, and social stability. Young Saudis consider the employment and job opportunities more important than political issues. So they will be likely to be more volatile and discontented forces, if Saudi government has not try to solve economic problems. And this situation will push them to have extremist versions of Islam, and make people more polarized