There’s been no shortage of news about recent efforts to expand the importance of the Arabic language in international business, culture, scholarship, computer technology, and more. But it turns out the reverse is also true – employers and economic experts alike are calling for greater emphasis on English learning to advance the Arab world’s economic goals and create employment opportunities for Arabic nations’ youth.
For promoters of English-language education like Omar Chihane, the founder of Englease.com, it’s a long overdue effort in securing the economic futures of Arab countries and its considerable numbers of unemployed youth. That’s especially true if Gulf Cooperation Council countries aim to achieve their ambitious economic revitalization goals.
“The International Labour Organization found that in 2018 the unemployment rate in the Arab world was around one in five people, which is almost double the global average,” he wrote for Entrepreneur Middle East in 2021. “Data from the World Bank also shows that the annual GDP growth of the MENA region has been declining since 2016.”
And given the shifting nature of international work, it’s even more vital that MENA countries embrace English education as a key tentpole of its economic goals. That’s especially true as international companies look to the region as one arena for new market potential.
“Additionally, it is now increasingly commonplace to have teams work remotely, with one co-worker living in New York, while another is based in Mumbai, for example,” Chihane adds. “The probability of miscommunication increases as your teams become larger and more diverse. On top of all that, as more managerial positions are added to accommodate for the expansion, it also becomes easier for directions and feedback to be misunderstood as they go up and down the chain of command.”
To be sure, it's a call with a long tail. Nearly 10 years ago, a 2015 World Bank report observed that Arab-country educational programs often did not align with the skills employers sought in the marketplace, including English-language skills. That’s backed up by a 2012 Euromonitor International study of eight Middle East-North Africa countries commissioned by the British Council that found higher earning potential for English speakers.
“Employees with better English skills enjoyed salaries from 5% (Tunisia) to as high as 200% (Iraq) more than their counterparts with no English,” the study found. “In addition, it found a correlation between poor fluency (and political instability) and unemployment.”
If MENA countries are able to effectively implement expanded English education, worries over young residents’ lack of employable skills could well transform into exuberance over an unexpected economic weapon. That’s due to a up-to-24-years-old youth population surge by 10 million projected to occur between 2015 and 2030, according to a World Bank report.
“This sudden growth in the youth population will create increased demand for educational services at all levels and will place immense pressure on existing educational institutions,” the report states. “Clearly, the persistent, dual challenges of quality and relevance must be addressed before the anticipated surge. If they can, this rising tide of young people could become an engine of growth for the region.”