The Arab world is quite informed when it comes to the US activities involving the Muslim world, a survey said.

Sixty-two per cent of the respondents in a poll conducted by Yahoo! Maktoob Research, in collaboration with InterMedia Survey Institute in Washington DC, a leading international market research firm, were aware of a recent speech by US President Obama to Muslim entrepreneurs.

The poll, held among 937 respondents from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia, explores the Arab World’s views on the outcomes of the recent Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, which took place in April.

President Obama had invited more than 200 entrepreneurs from the Muslim world to a Washington DC summit as part of a programme to encourage innovation and growth in Muslim countries, billing it as a “new beginning” in relations between the US and the Muslim world.

Less than three out of ten respondents (26 per cent) believe that the US is either very or somewhat committed to improving economic conditions in the Muslim World. Out of the countries surveyed, believability seems to be the lowest among Jordanians.

The same percentage is being achieved when asked how optimistic Arabs are that the US will be able to help improve economic conditions in the Muslim World. Just over a quarter (26 per cent) are very or somewhat optimistic. Men, North African and Levant Nationals are the least optimistic.

The largest percentage of respondents (82 per cent) states that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the most important issue for the US to address to prove its commitment to improving relations with individual citizens in the Muslim World.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is followed by democracy and justice in the Muslim World (40 per cent) and the war in Iraq (37 per cent).

The other issues are being ranked as follows: human rights (29 per cent), nuclear proliferation (27 per cent), economic development/jobs (24 per cent), religious freedom (24 per cent) and women’s rights (3 per cent). On average three main issues are being mentioned by the respondents.

A larger number of women seem to be concerned about the war in Iraq (45 per cent versus 35 per cent) and religious freedom (34 per cent versus 20 per cent) compared to their male counterparts.

“We are excited about sharing the results of the online poll whereby respondents shared their views on the role the US is playing in fostering entrepreneurship in the Arab World, following the recent summit in Washington,” said Tamara Deprez, head of Yahoo! Maktoob Research.

“There is a tremendous opportunity for countries around the globe to participate in high-growth entrepreneurship and further technology advancements.”

“Growth and empowerment throughout the region must be founded and ultimately driven within the Arab World. To enable that, communities need to build a foundation that makes high-growth entrepreneurship possible, including investing in R&D and education and creating a culture that encourages entrepreneurship,” Deprez concluded. – TradeArabia News Service