CAIRO, Sept 6: Unemployment in the Arab states stands at 19.4 per cent of their total 90-million strong active population, according to figures disclosed on Saturday at an inter-Arab economics conference here.

The 22 members of the Arab League need investments of $33 billion to offset this massive unemployment, an Arab Investment Agreement Organization official, Abdul Razeq al-Kubeisi, told the opening session of a two-day conference of the Council of Arab Economic Unity.

He said 17.5 million people were without jobs across the Arab world.

The council last year estimated at $1,000 billion Arab funds invested abroad.

The council is made up of Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Mauritania, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, the Palestinian Authority and nominally Iraq and Somalia.—AFP