Sheikha Mozah of Qatar warns of cycle of unemployment - The National

The influential head of the Qatar Foundation has criticised Arab governments for failing to provide sufficient education and work for the region's burgeoning youth population, and warned of a "devastating cycle of unemployment".

Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned's criticism was published in a UN report today amid uprisings across the region in which young people have led calls for better job prospects and political rights.

"The education system in Arab countries is partly responsible for the soaring unemployment rate, because it focuses more on granting diplomas than on effectively training students in practical skills," wrote Sheikha Mozah, who is the wife of Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.