GCC schools and spending authorities
The most valuable, and fastest-growing education markets in the Middle East and North Africa are centred around the member states of the economic and security coalition the Gulf Cooperation Council: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), of which the biggest sub-markets are to be found in oil-rich Abu Dhabi and services hub Dubai.
Construction of new public and private-sector schools is likely to continue across the region over the next decade, with the total number of schools in the region set to rise to 55,704 by 2020 from 53,005 ten years earlier, according to the US’ Alpine Capital. Private schools will make up around 14 per cent of the total by 2020, an increase from 13 per cent currently.
Given the penetration of private, international education, in the region, along with the huge public-sector spending power of the Gulf states, the GCC presents the biggest business opportunities to BETT attendees. What follows is a series country briefs and directories for five of the GCC member states - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia - along with analyses and directories for the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, commissioned exclusively by MEED for the conference.
Kuwait
Sector Brief: With a total of 653 private schools, Kuwait has one of the most fully-developed education private sectors in the region. It is also one of the wealthiest per-capita countries in the region, and the government is again keen to improve vocational skills in order to wean the population from state jobs, with the government employing 80-90 per cent of all Kuwaitis.
State Schools: 1,613
Private Schools: 653
2011-2012 Ministry of Education Budget: $5bn
Directory - Major Private Institutions (Pre-School, Primary Schools, Middle Schools, High Schools)
| Kuwait student numbers (2009) | |
|---|---|
| Number of students | |
| Primary Students | 220,629 |
| Secondary Students | 265,268.00 |
| Tertiary Education Students | 42,398 |
| Private School Students | 163,336 |
| Source: Alpen Capital | |
Oman
Sector Brief: Oman has the region’s newest public education system, and has struggled to reach the educational standards achieved elsewhere in the region, with literacy rates the lowest level in the GCC, at around 87 per cent. Given its size, the country also has a small private education sector for the region.
State Schools: 2,854
Private Schools: 133
Ministry of Education Budget 2011-2012: $2.4bn
| Oman student numbers (2009) | |
|---|---|
| Number of Students | |
| Primary Students | 280,761 |
| Secondary Students | 316,548 |
| Tertiary Education Students | 77,921 |
| Private School Students | 26,589 |
| Source: Alpen Capital | |
Qatar
Sector Brief: Despite its tiny size, Qatar has become a major spender on education in recent years, with spending per-student levels among the highest in the world. The government has proven especially keen to increase the level of private-sector involvement in the education sector.
State Schools: 570
Private Schools: 179
2011-2012 Budget: $5.3bn
| Qatar student numbers (2009) | |
|---|---|
| Number of Students | |
| Primary Students | 85,062 |
| Secondary Students | 73,544 |
| Tertiary Education Students | 14,532 |
| Private School Students | 44,657 |
| Source: Alpen Capital | |
Saudi Arabia
Sector Brief: Saudi Arabia is the biggest overall spender on education on the region, and has the highest number of schools and universities in the GCC. Procurement for the state education sector is managed directly by the Ministry of Education, and individual schools are understood to have the highest degree of independence in terms of spending in the region
State Schools: 37,145
Private Schools: 3,255
2011-2012 Budget: $40bn
| Saudi Arabia student numbers (2009) | |
|---|---|
| Number of Students | |
| Primary Students | 3,271,789 |
| Secondary Students | 2,950,962 |
| Tertiary Education Students | 725,848 |
| Private School Students | 651,035 |
| Source: Alpen Capital | |
UAE
Sector Brief: Although the national curriculum is administered by the federal Ministry of Education, discretionary spending and ICT policies for schools in the UAE are decided at an emirate level by individual Education Councils. Abu Dhabi is the biggest spender on public and private education in the federation, and a directory is provided for these two emirates below.
State Schools: 722
Private Schools: 1,076
2011-2012 Budget: $2.5bn
| UAE student numbers (2009) | |
|---|---|
| Number of Students | |
| Primary Students | 305,288 |
| Secondary Students | 324,113 |
| Tertiary Education Students | 74,280 |
| Private School Students | 376,612 |
| Sourcce: Alpen Capital | |
Bahrain
Sector Brief: Bahrain was the first of the Gulf Arab states to introduce a public schools system, and its education sector has traditionally been considered among the best in the region. Manama has been keen to introduce a greater degree of vocational training in recent years as it struggles with declining oil revenues and a series of social issues.
State Schools: 210
Private Schools: 66
2011-2012 Ministry of Education Budget: $1.3bn
Directory - Major Private Institutions (Pre-School, Primary Schools, Middle Schools, High Schools)
| Bahrain student numbers (2009) | |
|---|---|
| Number of Students | |
| Primary Students | 85,062 |
| Secondary Students | 73,544 |
| Tertiary Education Students | 14,532 |
| Private School Students | 44,657 |
| Source: Alpen Capital | |
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