ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the social, economic, and cultural implications of what we call the demographic youth bulge. Most MENA societies are extremely young in terms of age distribution. The current youth generation is the most well educated in regional history, and among the most mobilized; the Arab Spring is but a recent example. Yet while young citizens in the Arab world plus Israel, Turkey, and Iran are agents of change, they also are overcoming bottlenecks that stifle their capacity to transform their societies. Among them are failing educational systems, chronic youth joblessness, and political marginalization. In sum, there is dire mismatch between what teenagers and young adults want (dignity, voice, participation) versus what is made available by older authorities in their communities and governments. However, youths also share a collective generational experience defined by disconnect from the past, technological interconnectivity, and cultural synergy through art and music. Their movement through public space challenges societal constraints and will continue to define the regional dynamic.
