A new report revealed that while Arabic continues to be the foundation of identity for youth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, English is gaining increasing influence in the fields of education, careers, and technology.
The study results, titled 'From Roots to Relevance: Making Arabic the Language of Opportunity for MENA’s Young People,' were published by the Congress of Arab and Creative Industries 2026 (Congress ACI) in collaboration with Strategy& Middle East, part of the PwC network, and Ipsos. The report highlights the challenge of preserving the cultural significance of the language while simultaneously increasing its relevance for the future opportunities of young people.
According to the survey data, 91 percent of young people participating in the study use Arabic at home. However, this figure drops to 64 percent in the workplace, university, or school, and to 60 percent in online learning. Meanwhile, the use of English is increasing: from seven percent at home to 33 percent in educational and work settings, and up to 36 percent in online learning.
Overall, 77 percent of respondents consider English to be a necessary language for achieving their goals, demonstrating the gap between the cultural value of Arabic and its practical role in the lives of young people.
Yasmin Al Khatib noted that Arabic is important as a regional language, helping people communicate and maintain a connection with traditions. Nevertheless, she believes that English plays a more prominent role in business, especially in the Gulf countries, where a common language is required for exchanging ideas among representatives from different nations.
Al Khatib, who studied Arabic at home and English at school, expressed a wish to study Arabic in an academic institution to better understand its grammar and learn to read and write its alphabet.
The study's findings indicate that young people are not abandoning Arabic; rather, they want it to evolve alongside their ambitions and the changing world. Almost three-quarters (74%) wish for Arabic to evolve to better reflect their ways of learning, creating, and working.
Furthermore, 76 percent stated that the language connects them to their roots, 70 percent expressed concerns about the loss of traditions and values, and 66 percent worry about the declining use of Arabic.
There is also a discrepancy between pride in the language and available content. Although 77 percent felt proud seeing Arabic in modern contexts, 67 percent considered Arabic content outdated compared to English.
Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center, noted that the results showed the youth's desire for Arabic to remain relevant in all aspects of their lives. He emphasized that young people strive for the tools and presence of Arabic to match the rhythm of their lives and be present in all areas of education, work, creativity, and future shaping.
He added that strengthening the presence of Arabic in education, technology, knowledge production, and creative industries is critical to transforming the youth's connection to the language into meaningful opportunities.
The report established that 81 percent of respondents believed in their ability to shape their own future, and 77 percent considered balancing tradition and modernity important when choosing a career.
Nay Abi Ramia, Partner at Strategy& Middle East, stated that young people want to realize their aspirations without losing touch with their heritage. She stressed that the current opportunity lies in ensuring a significant place for the language in the technologies they use, the content they consume and create, as well as in educational and career trajectories.
Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have become the top priority for investments in the Arabic language, according to half of the respondents. This was followed by schools and universities (42%), public and governmental services (39%), and media and entertainment (32%).
The report points out deficiencies in Arabic AI, noting that many large language models perform less effectively in non-English and low-resource language environments and may not adequately reflect cultural context. Therefore, it recommends developing a common Arabic language infrastructure, including high-quality datasets, language models, speech recognition tools, and translation resources that can function across various sectors and dialects.
For Ahmed Hakim, a 32-year-old technology specialist from the UAE, making Arabic relevant to the younger generation means taking it beyond the classroom and home. He stated that Arabic should be more than just a language, and it needs to be applied in fields that shape our future, from artificial intelligence and science to entrepreneurship, media, and the workplace.
In conclusion, the report identifies five priorities: linking Arabic education to real and professional applications; creating common language technology; measuring the impact of Arabic digital standards on users; developing modern Arabic content and sustainable creative careers; and establishing clear accountability to track results and scale successful initiatives. Hakim added that improved Arabic AI tools, translation services, and voice recognition systems that understand various dialects will make the language more accessible and relevant to the younger generation.