Arab Dawn: Arab Youth and the Demographic Dividend They Will Bring

In the West, news about the Middle East is dominated by an endless stream of reports and commentary about civil war, sectarian violence, religious extremism, and economic stagnation. But do they tell the full story? For instance, who knew that university enrolment in the war-torn Palestinian territories exceeds that of Hong Kong, or that more than a third of Lebanese entrepreneurs are women?

Change is on its way in the Middle East, argues Bessma Momani, and its cause is demographic. Today, o...