DUBAI, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A periodic survey said on Tuesday that 78 percent of young Arabs aged 18-24 believe the Islamic State (IS) militant group can be completely defeated.

This result of the 10th Arab youth survey released by Dubai-based public relations firm Asda'a Burson-Marsteller marked a significant increase over the previous one in 2015, when 47 percent of young people in the Arab countries uttered confidence about the defeat of the IS.

"Furthermore, 58 percent say the IS ideology will be completely defeated," the company said in an e-mailed statement.

The survey also reveals a marked shift of regional perception about global powers, with a majority of the Arab youth now viewing the U.S. as an adversary, while seeing Russia as the top non-Arab ally.

Russia has been militarily supporting the Syrian government in pushing back the IS since September 2015.

The international polling firm PSB Research conducted the survey by performing 3,500 face-to-face interviews with men and women aged 18-24 in 16 Arab countries and regions, between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20, 2018.