RIYADH, Dec 5: The Arab world is less confident today about its future than before, a survey carried out by Zogby International (ZI) has revealed.
It stressed that anti-Americanism and uncertainty about future have become the hallmark of the Arab population.
Each year ZI polls Arabs in six countries to test the mood across the region. Last year despite ongoing conflicts and internal problems plaguing some countries, many Arabs were expressing a degree of confidence in their present circumstances and optimism about their futures. In fact, last year's mood was the brightest since annual polling began in 2002. Not this year. This year is a different story. Regional conflicts have had a dampening impact on attitudes in each of the countries covered in the survey.
The Arab-Israeli conflict and Iraq were rated as the major problems facing in the region. It was rated highest in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.
In Lebanon, the scenario was different. Lebanon, of course, presented a special case, and not only because it was the only one of the six countries covered in the survey where conflict actually occurred. One year ago, Lebanon appeared to be on the rebound.
Despite persistent internal divisions Lebanese, across the spectrum of their society, displayed optimism last year. This year that optimism has been erased.
All of this points to an obvious fact. The people of the Arab world are organically linked not only by geography, history and culture, the pollsters emphasise. They are tied by sentiment, as well. As a result of this, the number of conflicts that have plagued the region have taken a profoundly negative toll on the Arab public's mood.
