Youth in Saudi Arabia

Youth in Saudi Arabia are the citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who are between the ages of 15 and 24. In 2015, the estimated population was around twenty-seven million, and 19.11% of the population was between the ages of 15 and 24.^[1]

Religion impacts the lives of Saudi youth. The government enforces a strict form of Islam called Wahhabism as the national religion that affects the areas of family formation, education and political activism.^[2] Islam teaches youth that family should be central to their lives and to respect their parents.^[3] Education in Saudi Arabia largely focuses on learning Islam and memorization.^[4] These focuses contribute to the employment difficulties of youth as they are not learning the skills that employers look for.^[3][5] High cost of living and career opportunities were two primary concerns of youth in 2014.^[3]

Saudi youth have difficulties being active participants in politics because of the strict Wahhabi religious doctrine and possible punishments. Saudi youth do want a say in their country's political policies and are achieving this by using popular media.^[6][7] The Tenth Development Plan's objectives address ways in which youth would be involved in the development of the country.^[8]

Two health concerns that are present in Saudi youth are smoking and obesity. A 2011 study done in Riyadh found that smoking rates among Saudi youth were "high and alarming". Out of 1272 students studied, the percentage of students that were currently smoking was about 19.5% (31.2% of boys and 8.9% of girls), and the percentage of students that had smoked before was about 42.8% (55.6% of boys and 31.4% of girls).^[9] Almost 60% of the Saudi population over sixteen was considered obese in 2014.^[10]