The education and research landscape in Qatar is undergoing a significant transformation, as the country is aiming to develop a knowledge-based economy beyond 2025. Qatar is already home to a productive knowledge ecosystem featuring a wide variety of local and international universities, and research institutes, as well as public and private schools catering to its diverse population. The sector’s focus in 2024 is on developing new learning pathways that meet the needs of the future economy, addressing disparities between industry needs and labour market skills, and further enhancing the research and development (R&D) environment to generate more positive outcomes that address both local and international challenges.
Oversight
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) is the primary government body overseeing and regulating the sector in Qatar. Prior to its establishment in 2016, the MEHE’s functions were the responsibility of the Supreme Education Council, which was disbanded by Amiri decree the same year the MEHE was established. The ministry oversees all K-12 public and private schools, as well as institutes of higher education, and has been led by Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi since October 2021. The main functions of the MEHE include developing education policies, issuing licences for private schools, implementing curriculum standards for public schools, and incorporating practices that improve teaching and learning. The ministry also plays an important role in evaluating K-12 institutes through the School Evaluation Department.
For higher education, the ministry monitors institutes’ adherence to the National Qualifications Framework, which is a mandatory reference tool for classifying national academic and vocational qualifications. The MEHE recognises the importance of innovation in the education sector, as the ministry’s vision is to help serve society through the provision of innovative and high-quality learning opportunities, and ensure that Qatari citizens have the requisite knowledge and skills.
Another important player in the education landscape is the Qatar Foundation (QF), which comprises a network of more than 50 organisations dedicated to advancing science, education and community development. Central to its mission is the utilisation of its comprehensive ecosystem to empower individuals to tackle present-day and future challenges. Education City is the cornerstone of QF’s initiatives, a 12-sq-km campus hosting both local and international universities and schools. Among its main tenants are Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Texas A&M University at Qatar, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar, HEC Paris in Qatar, Georgetown University in Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar. Education City is also home to 13 schools as part of the foundation’s pre-university network, offering an environment that fosters innovation and contributes significantly to the academic landscape.
Strategy
The MEHE is tasked with developing and implementing medium-term development strategies for the sector that support Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV), the long-term economic blueprint for diversification and social advancement. As of March 2024 – despite being more than halfway through the 2023/24 academic year – a medium-term plan to succeed the Education and Training Sector Strategy (ETSS) 2018-22 had yet to be published. ETSS 2018-22 covers five areas in the education field: enrolment, achievement and implementation, manpower, citizenship and values, and institutional development and governance. The plan outlines specific key performance indicators for each area and academic level, including the creation of a centralised database for education and training; the development of more e-services to be provided by the MEHE; more teachers possessing early childhood education qualifications; the improvement of students’ performance in third-, sixth- and ninth-grade exams to 70% or higher; and an increase in the number of students who are pursuing science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.
In January 2024 Qatar launched the Third National Development Strategy 2024-30 (NDS-3), a socio-economic development plan for the country. The NDS-3 has a focus on several education-related areas, with attention being paid primarily to enhancing education outcomes and the quality of K-12 learning. This is in response to Qatar trailing the OECD average in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 tests for 15-year-old students, which measure aptitude in maths, reading and sciences.
Other sector-specific priorities in the NDS-3 include examining the tertiary gross enrolment rate. According to UNESCO, in 2022 this rate for Qatari males was only 16%, compared to the MENA average of 39.3%. The country also produces a small proportion of university graduates in STEM fields. According to the Institutional Research and Effectiveness Strategy and Development Office’s Factbook 2021-22 for Qatar University, 20% of university graduates in the 2021/22 academic year received STEM degrees, reversing a three-year trend that saw this share decline from 23.9% in 2018/19, to 19.7% in 2019/20 and 16.6% in 2020/21. In addition, the NDS-3 focuses on students, teachers, school environments and the education services being offered by the ministry. New study pathways are also set to be introduced in school curricula to help meet the demands of the future job market.
The NDS-3 has seven pillars, with sustainable economic growth being one. A number of diversification clusters are outlined for development within this pillar, with education defined as an enabling cluster, or a sector that impacts all others. The main objectives of the education cluster are to promote Qatar as a centre for higher education, develop specialisations and increase private sector participation to help absorb the growing student population. The country aims to leverage its institutes of higher education to produce skilled graduates for its other economic clusters, namely manufacturing; logistics; tourism; IT and the digital economy; financial services; food and agriculture; health services; and future-oriented industries, such as green technology and the creative economy.
Priorities
One of the intended strategic national outcomes of the NDS-3 is the development of a futureready workforce, with several targets set for 2030. These include ensuring that more than 46% of its total workforce is employed in skilled and highly skilled jobs; having at least 20% of the Qatari labour force working in private and semi-private sector jobs; increasing the proportion of STEM graduates from 10% to at least 18%; and registering an average PISA score of 483, compared to Qatar’s score of 422 in the PISA 2022 exams.
Citizens have tended to shun private sector employment in favour of jobs with government ministries and agencies that come with high salaries and generous perks, with over 90% of Qataris employed in the public sector. The result of this imbalance is that a significant proportion of the government budget is allocated to salaries, rather than being channelled into more productive areas that could generate future wealth. Due to this, the education system has tended to focus on the types of skills in demand in the public sector, leading to a mismatch between industry needs and the national talent pool. One of the ways Qatar aims to increase the share of nationals working in the private sector is by deploying large-scale upskilling programmes in collaboration with private companies. The NDS-3 outlines a number of specific programmes for doing so, including a bridge programme in partnership with major national companies to create a skills development pathway for young people to progress in priority sectors; a wider skills credit programme enabling young people to access a variety of upskilling courses; and a targeted knowledge transfer programme offering chances to explore opportunities in other sectors.
The NDS-3 also plans to address disparities between industry needs and labour market skills. At the K-12 level, the focus will be on developing revised curricula that nurture future-proof competencies, leverage technological tools and introduce flexible learning pathways. In higher education, the strategy intends to provide more flexibility in specialisation tracks.
Budget
The budget for education has fluctuated since 2016, when the country allocated 10% of its total expenditure, or QR20.4bn ($5.6bn), to the sector. This increased to 10.4% of total spending, or QR20.6bn ($5.7bn), in 2017. However, the figure as a proportion of the national budget dropped in 2018 and 2019 to 9.4%, or QR19bn ($5.2bn), and 9.2%, or QR19.2bn ($5.3bn), respectively. In 2020 the country allocated QR22.1bn ($6.1bn), or 10.5% of total spending, on education; however, this expenditure fell in 2021 to QR17.4bn ($4.8bn), or 8.9% of Qatar’s budget. The following year, sector expenditure was QR17.8bn ($4.9bn) before slightly increasing in 2023 to QR18.1bn ($5bn), accounting for 9% of the national budget in both years.
In December 2023 Qatar’s government announced its 2024 budget. Reflecting the importance of human development in QNV and the priorities of the NDS-3, which was launched shortly after the budget was announced, the health and education sectors were given greater prominence, accounting for a combined 20% of the budget for the fiscal year.
Structure
Education in Qatar spans six levels, each of which caters to specific age groups and academic needs. Commencing from early childhood, which accommodates children up to the age of four, the system progresses through pre-primary for those younger than five, primary for grades 1 to 6, preparatory for grades 7 to 9, and general and technical secondary for grades 10 to 12. After completing the secondary level, students are required to take the General Certificate of Secondary Education exam, with those scores used for university applications. For students attending international schools, graduation requirements vary according to the curricula followed and usually include a final exam. Compulsory education extends up to the preparatory level, ensuring students undergo a minimum of 11 years of schooling to equip them with foundational skills and knowledge.
Education in Qatar encompasses four main categories of schools, each tailored to meet specific learning requirements. Public schools adhere to the nationally designed curricula, providing a framework that reflects the country’s education priorities. They are free of charge for Qatari citizens, and usually are attended by nationals and residents from Arabic-speaking countries, as well as students fluent in Arabic. International schools adopt globally recognised curricula such as the International Baccalaureate, catering to a multinational student body. Although schools are free to follow international curricula, they must meet the academic requirements of the Qatar National School Accreditation (QNSA). Community schools, on the other hand, align their curricula with those of schools in the expatriate community’s home country, offering familiarity and continuity for students transitioning from abroad, although the curricula followed in these schools must meet the requirements of the QNSA. Private Arabic schools, although partially under the jurisdiction of the MEHE, provide instruction primarily in Arabic, and contribute to the preservation of cultural and linguistic heritage. Additionally, Qatar boasts specialised facilities such as the Child Development Centre for Special Needs, which caters to students with autism and related developmental disorders. Such facilities offer tailored support, such as speech and occupational therapy, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for both nationals and expatriates within the education framework.
At the beginning of 2024 there were 208 public schools and 326 private schools in the K-12 system, according to the MEHE. Private schools charge tuition fees for nationals and foreigners, but the former can apply for vouchers to allow them to attend private schools for free or at a rate subsidised by the government. The decision to allow nationals to apply for these vouchers is rooted in Qatar’s mission to build a qualified workforce, ensuring that the nation’s culture and values are integrated not only into public education, but also the private education sector.
School Enrolment
According to the Planning and Statistics Authority, in the 2021/22 academic year there were a total of 343,372 students in Qatar, with 129,249 students, or 37.6%, attending public schools and 214,123 students, or 62.4%, attending private schools. Of the students attending public schools, 64,728 were Qatari nationals, while 45,515 Qatari nationals attended private schools. In a reflection of local traditions, the vast majority of public schools are segregated by gender at the primary level, and there are no mixed gender schools at the preparatory or secondary level. In contrast, the vast majority of private schools are mixed gender at all levels.
There were a total of 165,364 primary students, 69,470 preparatory students and 57,409 secondary students across both public and public schools during the 2021/22 academic year. The demographic mix of students reflects the fact that foreign nationals account for the majority of the population of Qatar. Of the total number of primary students, 47,530 were nationals, compared to 117,834 who were not Qatari citizens. At the preparatory level, 23,348 students were nationals, compared to 46,122 who were not. At the secondary level, 21,714 students were Qatari citizens, compared 35,695 non-citizens. During the 2021/22 academic year 59,656 attended public primary schools and 105,708 attended private primary schools. At the preparatory level, 30,975 attended public schools and 38,495 attended private institutes. In comparison, 30,550 studied at public schools at the secondary level, while 26,859 went to private schools.
Higher Education
During the 2021/22 academic year there were more than 44,500 students enrolled in colleges and universities in Qatar, 36,423 of whom were studying at public institutes and 8078 at private ones. While the gender balance in schools is skewed slightly in favour of males at all levels of the K-12 education system, female students notably outnumber their male counterparts in the country’s colleges and universities. Of the total number of students enrolled in public colleges and universities in 2021/22, 11,243 were male and 25,180 were female.
That same academic year there were 5308 graduate students at public colleges and universities in Qatar, including master’s and doctorate programmes. Of those students, 1428 were male and 3880 were female, while 3647 were Qataris and 1661 were non-nationals. Meanwhile, there were 1679 graduates from private colleges and universities in Qatar, 599 of whom were male and 1080 of whom were female, with 763 being Qatari nationals and 916 expatriates.
More than 3100 scholarships were handed out to Qatari students to attend university in country and abroad for the 2021/22 academic year. Of these scholarships, 2331 were given to female students and 788 to male students. However, male students outnumber female students when it comes to scholarships for studying abroad, with 68.2% of them being given to males. The most popular overseas destination for university scholarship students in the 2021/22 academic year was the UK, followed by the US, France and Japan. The number of Qatari students choosing to study abroad on scholarships has declined significantly since the 2015/16 academic year, when 1170 chose to pursue their education overseas. This decline is perhaps indicative of the increasing diversity and quality of higher education opportunities within Qatar’s colleges.
Universities
Qatar University is the country’s main public university, with 11 colleges, 50 bachelor’s programmes, 47 master’s programmes, 18 research centres and an enrolment of nearly 25,000 students during the 2021/22 academic year. It is also the highest-ranked institute of higher education based in Qatar, finding itself in the 251-300 bracket of the 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In addition to Qatar University, there are 33 public and private colleges and universities, including the international establishments in Education City. Foreign entrants to the higher education landscape include the National University of Malaysia-Qatar, which opened in May 2022, and Northern Ireland’s Ulster University, which opened a branch campus in January 2023.
In April 2023 it was announced that a new draft law was in its final stages that would update the requirements for foreign universities to open a satellite campus in Qatar. Such requirements would include that the institute of higher education be listed among the top-300 in globally recognised rankings; the school must provide the same programmes as available in the parent university; and the school must offer the same certificates and conditions when accepting incoming students. As of April 2024 the law had yet to complete the legislative process and be enacted into law.
Academic Staff
One of the priorities for developing a more educated and motivated talent base under the NDS-3 is to reform the professional training trajectory for teachers spanning pre-entry to exit. Plans for realising this objective include improving the quality of college programmes that prepare teaching staff, tightening admission criteria, reviewing the value proposition for all staff in the government’s K-12 system, and building a competency-based evaluation and professional development journey.
The vast majority of K-12 teachers in the country are foreign nationals, reflective of the large expatriate population and the greater number of private schools compared to their public counterparts. As private schools in Qatar are able to offer attractive salaries to prospective hires, growing international demand has considerably intensified the competition for employing teaching staff from other countries.
The paramount resource in the education sector is human capital, with a rising demand for qualified teachers in emerging markets such as China and Southeast Asia. The increasing number of private schools and growing wages abroad have both contributed to a global shortage of teachers, presenting challenges for international recruitment in the sector.
Of the 4268 teachers at the pre-primary level in the 2021/22 academic year, 15% were Qataris and 85% non-nationals. At the primary level that same year, the 13,159-strong teaching body was 18.4% Qatari, while at the preparatory level only 11.9% of the 5018 teachers were citizens. The ratio was more pronounced at the secondary level, where 8.4% of the 5643 teachers were Qataris. In an effort to recruit and retain more local teachers for K-12 schools to achieve the human capital development objectives outlined in QNV and the NDS-3, QF’s Education Development Institute offers various study programmes, workshops and conferences for graduates and teachers to enhance their skills and adapt to the evolving needs of the profession.
At the higher education level, in the 2021/22 academic year there were 3617 staff members – including professors, lecturers, teaching assistants and administrative staff – across Qatar’s public and private colleges and universities. Of the total number of staff, 1775 were in public colleges and universities, and 1842 were in private schools. A total of 332 staff members in public colleges and universities were Qatari, while 1443 were non-nationals. In private schools, 48 staff members were nationals, compared to 1794 foreign nationals.
R&D
As Qatar looks to enhance its knowledge ecosystem as part of efforts to develop a more diverse and sustainable economy, R&D is being prioritised in national plans. Indeed, enhancing Qatar’s innovation ecosystem and amplifying its role in propelling productivity enhancements and economic expansion are a key element of the country’s sustainable growth model outlined in the NDS-3, with stated aims including doubling R&D expenditure as a share of GDP by 2030 and ranking in the top-30 on the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s Global Innovation Index (GII) by that same year (see analysis). According to the World Bank, Qatar spent less than 0.7% of its GDP on R&D in 2021, which was significantly below the global average of 2.71% and also behind the average of 0.71% in the Arab world. In the 2023 GII Qatar ranked 50th overall out of 132 countries, with its highest placing being in the institutions category (23rd) and its lowest placing being in business sophistication, and knowledge and technology outputs (73rd and 82nd, respectively).
One important player in the country’s R&D ecosystem is the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council, which was established in 2018 and tasked with overseeing the national research strategy. A similarly significant entity is QF’s research, development and innovation arm, which is comprised of entities such as the Qatar Science and Technology Park, and Qatar Biobank, along with several specialised research institutes operating within the QF-owned HBKU.
As the country seeks to enhance its R&D ecosystem further by addressing shortfalls, the private sector expects to play a more prominent role, with a target of 60% of R&D expenditure coming from private entities by 2030 under the NDS-3. To achieve this, the government plans to customise incentives to target large domestic enterprises and multinational corporations, as well as forging strategic global partnerships.
Outlook
The education and research landscape in Qatar is poised for continued evolution and growth, aligning with the county’s goal of transitioning towards a knowledge-based economy, as outlined in QNV. With its focus on fostering innovation, meeting future workforce demands and enhancing R&D capabilities, Qatar is seeking to ensure that its national ambitions are supported by a skilled human capital base and an enabling knowledge ecosystem. The launch of the NDS-3 in 2024 is expected to be supported by a new medium-term strategy for the education sector that should outline concrete steps on how the country plans to diversify learning pathways to address disparities between current and future industry needs, and labour market skills. As Qatar continues to invest further in the education and research fields, collaboration between public and private entities is crucial to achieving its objectives and ensuring that the knowledge ecosystem it is developing can support sustainable growth in the years to come.
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