WASHINGTON: Arabs rate improving quality of life issues as more important than political reform in their countries and are mostly cool to US involvement in their internal affairs, according to a new poll released on Monday.

Expanding employment, settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and improving healthcare topped the list of 10 most important reform issues, according to a Zogby International survey of 2,600 Arabs in Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The respondents also said educational opportunities, curbing extremism, civil rights, and democracy were important issues. At the bottom of the list were reform, promoting political debate and advancing women's rights.

"What these findings demonstrate is that Arab public opinion wants change, but that their most important issues of concern are structural changes that improve daily life and expand opportunities for personal advancement," James Zogby, president of the American Arab Institute, wrote in a column on the survey.

On the issue of expanding employment, 73 per cent of respondents in Lebanon said US assistance would be helpful, while only 2 per cent of respondents in Saudi Arabia held that view.

On the expansion of democracy, 46 per cent in Lebanon indicated that US help would be positive; 17 per cent in Jordan; 10 per cent in Morocco; 7 per cent in the United Arab Emirates and 1 per cent in Saudi Arabia. -Reuters