Social media has become an important tool in helping Arab youth find jobs, according to a new study from Dubai School of Government's governance and innovation programme and SAP Mena.
The study looked at the effectiveness of social media in promoting social advancement with job creation and business growth across the Arab region.
About 70 per cent of the 5,000 respondents believe social media can help youth find jobs, while 75 per cent considered it an essential channel for the virtual job market.
"This groundbreaking research offers insight into new horizons for economic empowerment of the Arab youth," said Fadi Salem, director of the governance and innovation programme at the school.
"It is essential for policymakers and businesses to understand this emerging phenomenon and its effect on their societies and markets."
Almost 84 per cent of the participants stated that social media could instil entrepreneurial skills, while 85 per cent described it as a powerful tool for innovation.
"People are now looking to hire through their networks and that now happens over digital networks first," said Omar Christidis, the founder of Arabnet, which is launching an online job advertisement board.
"Digital presence has become important for employers to see levels of engagement."
Arabnet organises the largest digital media summit in the region with the aim of connecting entrepreneurs with investors.
"While unemployment rates [have] skyrocketed worldwide, one of the key solutions to emerge has been through entrepreneurial initiatives," Raed Charafeddine, the first vice governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, said yesterday at the Arabnet Digital Summit in Beirut.
"Entrepreneurship has proven to be a stimulus for job creation and economic environment a cornerstone for social and economic stability. Integral to this is support and empowerment of incubators, mentors, investors and financial and educational solutions."
