'Youth survey will help policymakers'

As part of the latest youth consultation for Muscat Youth Summit, the Brand Oman Management Unit (BOMU) spearheaded by His Highness Sayyid Faisal Al Said has launched a nationwide electronic youth survey aimed at young people in the age group of 15-25.

Running online (www.brandoman.om/youthsurvey) until December 31 and available in Arabic and English, the survey is the Sultanate's most comprehensive overview of Omani youth to date. The initiative is part of the Muscat Youth Summit and is the latest project by BOMU designed to help government, business and the third sector make the best decisions possible for Oman's youth.

"We want to know what young people like doing, what they think about where they live, what activities they take part in and what they see themselves doing in the future. So far, we've had over 1,400 young people take part in the survey. And we're obviously delighted with the response but we want to hear from as many young people as possible. This is a great opportunity for the youth to have their say," remarked Sayyid Faisal.

According to Sayyid Faisal, the survey is an integral part of BOMU's annual Muscat Youth Summit which will be held on December 4-7 at the Al Musannah Millennium Resort.

"In simple terms, the survey aims to gauge the opinions, feeling and experiences of young people in mainstream education and recent graduates living in Oman in terms of their current lifestyles and future plans.

Specific topics covered in the 37 question survey include: perceptions of the area young people live in; suggested improvements for their local area; what they do in their spare time; media use; aspirations and future plans; interest in the enterprise culture; and their views on community service and volunteering," said BOMU's Azzan Al Busaidi and MYS Project Director.

Al Busaidi added, "This is the first time we've rolled out a survey of this magnitude. It's Version One, if you will. But we hope it'll provide critical information about our young people and tell us more about their aspirations, concerns and hopes.
"Indeed, the survey will undoubtedly help us better understand young people and give us an insight into how they're doing in school and college, how they spend their time, how physically active they are and how they feel about their self and their future."

The survey's results will be an important resource for those who work with and care about Oman's youth.

"It's our hope that the information we obtain from the survey will help us develop Muscat Youth Summit and take it to the next level. The survey's results will also help our partners in government, business and the third sector make sound decisions about program development, funding and youth service delivery," concluded HH Sayyid Faisal.

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