Speaking to delegates at the International & Private Schools Education Forum (IPSEF) in Central London last month, His Excellency Abdulrahman AlHajri said that the K-12 market in Saudi Arabia “is just booming” – with demand growing in particular for international schools.
“The economy is experiencing continuous growth, whether in GDP or public expenditure. So the demand is always there,” he said.
Speaking of the “openness” the country is experiencing now, AlHajri said this had resulted in a “greater need for international education”, meaning that parents were increasingly looking to send their children to international K-12 schools.
“We are building a thriving economy that is not focused on one single resource, and we want to build a vibrant society,” AlHajri told delegates. “We’re opening up to the world and now if you visit Saudi Arabia you can see the difference between now and 10 or 15 years ago.”
The economy is experiencing continuous growth, whether in GDP or public expenditure. So the demand is always there
His Excellency Abdulrahman AlHajri, Saudi Arabia deputy minister of education for investment
Saudi Arabia’s education strategy, which AlHajri said focused on “building a globally competitive citizen amid this [global] fierce competition”, feeds into the country’s Vision 2030 – its strategic plan to diversify the economy, reduce oil dependence, and modernise society.
AlHajri said there were three key areas where education could be enhanced: budget, teacher training and “forging the right partnerships between the government and the private sector”, with the deputy minister of education for investment saying this was his “number one KPI”.
Some 17-18% of children in Saudi Arabia attend private K-12 institutions, with the private sector accounting for about 12-15% of the market, AlHajri shared, meaning that around 83% of the population attend public schools.
AlHajriri pointed out that the opportunity for the private sector was huge, amounting to 50-60 billion Riyals, or GBP £10 million.
The international education sector is increasingly looking towards the middle east – and Saudi Arabia in particular – for new opportunities in the K-12 and higher education space. The University of New Haven and the University of Wollengong have both announced plans to open branch campuses in Saudi Arabia.
