The UAE and Dubai is much more than a tech oasis in the desert. No wonder it is the cynosure of all eyes. So it comes as no surprise to me that it is looked upon as a model nation by young people across the region (“Arab youth choose UAE as top country to live: Survey,” May 1, Gulf Today).

The country has progressed leaps and bounds over the years and so has been the response from the Arab youth and the world at large. The preference of youngsters for the UAE continues an eight-year trend that has seen the country cement its lead, particularly since 2015 when 20 per cent selected the UAE as their preferred country in which to live. A figure that has more than doubled in 2019. The youth are our future and if they prefer UAE over advanced countries in the world, it is a feather in the cap of the leaders of the nation.

The UAE leadership’s forward-thinking strategies have earned rich dividends. World-class infrastructure coupled with smart technologies leveraging the advantages of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a huge draw for the millennials. And the UAE excels in that division. Furthermore Arab youth want their respective country to emulate the UAE. This is a great testimony of how powerful an image the UAE has created in the minds of young Arabs.

Omar Abdullah, By email