The Education Sector in the GCC Countries
Believing in the importance of the education sector and its role in localizing the national workforce, Mashroo3k Consulting presents key indicators of the education sector in the GCC countries, encouraging investment in this vital field:
- The total number of students in early childhood development programs (including nurseries and kindergartens) in the GCC countries reached 851.5 thousand, according to the latest available statistics.
- The number of students in school education stages is estimated at 9.3 million (with 79.4% in the public sector and 20.6% in the private sector).
- The number of adult education learners is approximately 181,247 students.
- The number of higher education students stands at 2,206,446 students.
- There are 50,647 teachers in early childhood education.
- The number of school education teachers is around 727,904 teachers.
- There are 5,806 educational institutions for early childhood education.
- The number of school education institutions is 32,310.
Bridging Education and Labor Market Needs
Over the past years, GCC governments have actively worked to bridge the gap between education and labor market requirements. They have adopted curricula that emphasize vocational and technical education while promoting e-learning and modern technologies. Additionally, these governments have significantly increased their spending on education to enhance quality and produce graduates that meet private sector demands.
According to the latest statistics:
- Saudi Arabia allocates 18.9% of its budget to education.
- The UAE spends 14.8% of its budget on education.
- Oman allocates 12.2% of its budget to education.
- Bahrain spends 9.8% of its budget on education.
- Kuwait designates 12.3% of its budget for education.
- Qatar allocates 10.5% of its budget to education.
By 2023, the value of the private education market in GCC countries is expected to reach $26.2 billion.
The Global Education Market
The global education services market was valued at $2,882.52 billion by the end of 2021. Global experts predict that this market will grow to $3,191.79 billion by the end of 2022, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.7%. By 2026, the market value is projected to reach $4,623.90 billion, reflecting a CAGR of 9.7% over the forecast period.
