Generation A

Far removed from the bird’s-eye view of the Arab Middle East as a place of civil war, sectarian violence, religious extremism and economic stagnation, Arab Dawn: Arab Youth and the Demographic Dividend They Will Bring is a tale of two stories: challenges and successes. In her latest book, Bessma Momani invites her readers to take a closer look at the socioeconomic changes that are taking place in the Arab world, and how these changes are forming a more vibrant, educated, vocal, internet-savvy Arab youth (between the ages of 15 and 24) that is striving for a better future.

Structured into four main chapters, the book starts with an analysis of the economic conditions in the Arab world and how they affect these young Arabs. It then analyses some prominent social issues such as corruption, democratization, freedom and social media and how they are perceived by younger generations. The third chapter tackles the question of Arab identity and religion and how...