93 percent of youth want Saudi wives JEDDAH – As much as 84 percent of young Saudis fear future unemployment followed by fears of terrorism and drugs at 72 percent each, a recent study by the Royah (Vision) Center for Social Studies has revealed. Financial security was a top concern for 87 percent of the surveyed 1,500 Saudis. A second priority for young Saudis was finding a good job, at 85 percent. Unemployment in the Kingdom stood at nearly 10.5 percent at the end of 2008 but it is expected to fall to 7.1 percent at the end of 2014. After financial and job security, marriage was a third priority for 74 percent of Saudis. Despite expensive dowries - that 60 percent of the young men thought was a hurdle to marriage in the country - the majority of them, 93 percent, said that they would favor a Saudi wife. A total of 68 percent said they wanted their wives to be full-time housewives. About 15 percent of the young Saudis said they preferred wives from rich families. About 65 percent of the youth surveyed lived with their families. The majority of those surveyed, at 81 percent, said that they were hopeful and satisfied with their lives, with only four percent seeing a gloomy life ahead. Only few thought that favoritism and bribery was a big deal. College education was the option for 79 percent of respondents. A total of 78 percent said they favored to be online whenever they had free time. Only 47 percent of them said that they would read a book in their free time and 24 percent would spend it on voluntary work. TV was still a big source of entertainment, with 71 percent tuning into various Arabic drama series, 69 percent to Western movies, 55 percent to religious shows, and 44 percent to documentaries. Political crises in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Sudan occupied the attention of 91 percent of the youth. The Royah Center for Social Studies is a non-profit research organization, based in Ras in Qassim, and provides social studies for development and planning purposes in the Kingdom. Ibrahim Al-Dawish, secretary general of the center, said that their findings would help in pushing forward the social reform process in the country. About half of the participants were optimistic about the future direction of Saudi society, he said.
