Gems Education is well-placed to expand its network, particularly in the GCC. It has built up a strong brand and is a well-known and respected name in the private learning sector. But the regional political uprisings could hamper its development plans.

The company does not yet have a presence in Bahrain and the political unrest has caused planned investment there to be shelved.

For the moment, the company should continue to concentrate its efforts further afield. Its network of schools in India perform particularly well. Gems Education has eight schools in India and pupils excel in science, technology and maths. With the Indian population expected to grow by 1.3 per cent a year and just 10.7 per cent of total government spending dedicated to education in 2008, according to the latest figures from Unesco, there is plenty of room for private investors to finance the education system.

The launch of the Varkey Gems Foundation also provides the ideal platform from which to grow in new markets. It gives the brand a foothold in countries where the name is less known and where the education systems are in desperate need of private investment in order to improve standards.