Qatar’s education and research sector continues to evolve under the strategic oversight of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE), aligning with Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy (NDS-3) for the 2024-30 period. With a diverse ecosystem of public and private schools, international university branches and vocational training centres, Qatar is prioritising innovation, inclusivity and workforce readiness. Policies such as the MEHE Strategy 2024-30 and updated guidelines for private education emphasise digital literacy; early childhood development; and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) advancement. The sector is further bolstered by Education City, an initiative of the Qatar Foundation (QF), as well as research centres and growing education technology (edtech) integration. As enrolment rates rise and government investment remains steady, Qatar aims to bridge skills gaps, enhance research outcomes and solidify its position as an education centre within the GCC region.
Oversight
The sector is overseen and regulated by the MEHE, with the ministry’s main aim centred on promoting critical thinking in education and creating a generation of students equipped with the knowledge and skills that are needed to succeed in the workplace. Ministerial oversight spans all K-12 public and private schools, and its purview includes oversight of all the higher education institutions. According to the National Planning Council (NPC), there were 325 K-12 public schools in the 2022/23 academic year catering to 132,178 students and 748 K-12 private schools for a total of 230,169 students. The minister of education and higher education is Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater who was appointed in November 2024.
The responsibilities of the ministry include forming educational policies, integrating best practices and evidence-based educational research in learning, licensing private schools and public school teachers, implementing curriculum standards for public K-12 schools and providing scholarships to Qatari nationals to enter higher education institutions. The MEHE’s vision is to provide innovative and inclusive learning opportunities that can benefit Qatar’s society. Additionally, the ministry is aiming to adequately prepare Qatari citizens through the provision of advanced learning opportunities that equip primary and secondary school students with the necessary knowledge and skills. The MEHE is focused on innovation, excellence, participation, transparency and accountability.
Qatar’s higher education system is supported by QF, which works with branches of higher education global institutions in the country. Through QF’s initiative, the country has attracted international universities, with institutions such as Georgetown University and Weill Cornell Medicine establishing local campuses. QF is a non-profit organisation focused on education, research and innovation. QF manages Education City, a 12-sq-km campus that houses branches of global institutions, as well as homegrown universities and research centres. There are over 7000 alumni who have graduated from the universities under QF, with 3900 students enrolled in higher education in the 2023/24 academic year and studying across 58 different programmes. Part of QF’s role in supporting higher education is its provision of scholarships and need-based financial aid for students. It also offers interest-free loans and the option of repayment through employment at one of Qatar’s approved institutions.
Structure
Qatar’s K-12 education system begins at the preschool level, which is for children aged three to five. Primary school, which is mandatory, spans grades one through six for children aged six to 12. The primary level is followed by the preparatory level, which encompasses three years of education for grades seven to nine for children aged 13 to 15. Students then progress to the secondary level which lasts for three years from grades 10 to 12 and is for students aged 15 to 18. Public schools are funded by the government and are free of charge for Qataris. The curriculum followed in public schools follows that of the MEHE and mandatory subjects include Arabic, English, maths, sciences and Islamic studies.
Private schools follow different curricula and tuition varies. They are required to follow the Qatar National School Accreditation (QNSA) system, an initiative that began in 2011 with its main purpose to ensure that all private and international schools follow international standards. The initiative assesses different schools on the basis of academic, educational and administrative aspects. In September 2024 the MEHE announced that the QNSA would be implemented in public schools for the 2024/25 academic year, with field visits to schools selected for the first phase of the rollout conducted in 2025/26. Qatar allows home education or home-based learning for nationals under the approval of the MEHE given certain circumstances; non-Qataris can also follow home-based learning through Assalam schools that utilise the Qatar National Curriculum Framework. Meanwhile, Al Hedaya schools cater to students with disabilities or special needs.
Enrolment
According to the NPC, the number of students enrolled in both private and public schools in the 2022/23 academic year was 362,347, of which 185,363 were male and 176,984 were female. Of the 132,178 students enrolled in public schools that year, 63,602 were male and 68,576 were female. During the same academic year, there were 7970 students in pre-primary public schools in the country, 3734 of whom were male and 4236 of which were female. Across primary public schools during that year, there were 60,506 students, 28,913 of whom were male and 31,593 were female. During the 2022/23 academic year, there were 32,204 students enrolled in preparatory public schools, 15,663 of whom were male and 16,541 were female. As for secondary public schools, there were 31,498 students enrolled, 15,292 of whom were male and 16,206 of which were female. Regarding nationality distribution, 63,922 students enrolled in public schools during the 2022/23 academic year were Qataris, while 68,256 of the students were non-nationals.
There were 230,169 students enrolled in private schools during the 2022/23 academic year, compared to 214,123 students in the 2021/22 school year. Of the total number of students in private schools in 2022/23, 108,408 were female and 121,761 male. That year, there were 47,043 students enrolled in pre-primary private schools in Qatar, 22,548 of whom were female and 24,495 were male. This level includes nurseries and kindergarten. Across primary private schools, 111,057 students were enrolled, 52,568 of whom were female and 58,489 male. In preparatory private schools, there were 42,023 students enrolled, 19,579 of whom were female and 22,444 male. Across secondary private schools, there were 30,046 students enrolled, 13,713 of whom were female and 16,333 male.
Of those enrolled in private schools in 2022/23, 48,712 were Qatari nationals and 181,457 were non-nationals. Across pre-primary private schools, 11,796 of the students were Qataris and 35,247 were non-nationals. In primary private schools, 21,610 of the students were nationals and 89,447 were non-nationals. As for preparatory private schools, 8593 were nationals and 33,430 were international students. In secondary private schools, 6713 were nationals and 23,333 were non-nationals.
Higher Education
Qatar University is the country’s main public university, although there were 32 other universities and colleges offering 235 undergraduate programmes and 131 master’s and doctoral programmes in the 2024/25 academic year. Qatar University has 11 colleges, 118 undergraduate and graduate programmes and 16 research centres spanning its campus. The university has more than 25,000 students, over 64,000 alumni and is ranked 122nd among global universities according to the 2025 QS World University Rankings.
Other public higher education institutions include Community College of Qatar and the University of Doha for Science and Technology, while private higher education institutions include Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and University Foundation College Universities in Qatar in addition to the branches of international educational institutions supported. There are also military higher education institutions in the country, such as Ahmed bin Mohammed Military College, Joaan bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies and Mohammed bin Ghanem Al Ghanem Maritime Academy, the last of which is managed by Turkey’s Piri Reis University.
In the 2022/23 academic year, there were 46,632 students enrolled in colleges and universities. Of those, 37,560 were enrolled in public universities, a figure up from 26,737 during the 2018/19 school year. Meanwhile, there were 9072 students enrolled in private universities in 2022/23 compared to 8507 over the same period. Of the students enrolled in public universities in the 2022/23 school year, 26,018 were female and 11,542 were male. In private universities, 5303 were female and 3769 were male. As for the nationality distribution across public universities during the 2022/23 academic year, 23,457 of the students enrolled were Qatari nationals and 14,103 were non-Qatari nationals. Of the international students, 1356 were from GCC countries, 8343 were from other Arab countries and 4404 were from non-Arab countries.
In Qatar University during the 2022/23 academic year, the most popular bachelor’s programme was arts and sciences, with 1142 students enrolled, followed by a bachelor’s of science in administration and economics, and a bachelor’s of arts in education. During the 2022/23 academic year, arts and sciences was also the most popular undergraduate programme among students enrolled in Qatar’s public universities.
In 2022/23, there were 3799 students on scholarships by the MEHE, 3029 of whom were studying in Qatar and 770 studying abroad. The UK was the most-preferred destination for Qataris on scholarship, with 570 students, followed by the US, with 59. Of the students on MEHE scholarships, 2719 were female and 1080 were male.
Academic Staff
In the 2022/23 academic year, there were 29,092 teachers in private and public schools, of whom 20,608 were female and 8484 which were male. Of these, 14,303 were teaching in public schools and 14,789 were teaching in private schools. Of the teachers in public schools, 4005 were Qataris and 10,298 were non-Qatari nationals, while 9850 were female and 4453 were male.
Of the teachers in private schools, 14,757 were non-nationals and 32 were Qataris, while 10,758 were female and 4031 were male. As for higher education, there were 1896 teaching staff members in public colleges and universities in Qatar, excluding top administration, 674 of whom were female and 1222 male. There were 329 Qatari staff members and 1567 were non-nationals. In private colleges and universities, there were 712 administrative staff, with 419 females and 293 males; by nationality, there were 25 Qatari staff members and 687 foreign nationals during the 2022/23 academic year.
Priorities
In September 2024 the MEHE released the first edition of its Guidelines for Public Policies in Private Education Phases 2024. The main objective behind the guide is to ensure high national standards through the regulation of both private schools and nurseries. The guidelines also aim to enable an inclusive environment for students with disabilities, as the guide includes policies that recognise this student group. More specifically, the guide includes assessment mechanisms and targets the inclusion of students with disabilities in educational activities and their ability to progress and fully participate in academic life and learning. The guidelines also include various school governance policies and aspects such as teacher development and student conduct, encouraging private schools to adhere to certain practices and high standards.
Regarding school enrolment, the Cabinet announced in May 2024 that it accepted a proposal by the MEHE to allow children beginning at the age of three to enrol in kindergarten classes prior to the primary level; previously children were permitted from the age of four. There have also been new policies regarding academic staff in public schools. In June 2024 the MEHE announced that new procedures to implement part-time work would be applied beginning in the 2024/25 academic year to allow more flexibility for public school employees including teaching and administrative staff. This was done on the basis of Cabinet Resolution No. 13 of 2021. To be eligible for the new part-time work arrangement, the employee must be a Qatari national, not have any supervisory or leadership capacity in the school and have completed a probationary period.
Strategies
In June 2024 the MEHE revealed its latest study plans for the 2024/25 academic year. These new curricula strategies, which align with the MEHE Strategy 2024-30 and the NDS-3, aim to create a balance between academic skills and the skills needed to address future challenges. The focus of the new study plan is on equipping students with aspects such as digital skills, emotional intelligence and critical thinking as well concentrating on the social and psychological aspects of being a student. There is also a focus on the mental, emotional and social health of students. At the primary level, the new strategies will allow students to gain more artistic and linguistic skills, while at the preparatory level, there will be more focus on Arabic and English language skills. As for secondary school students, they will be required to create graduation projects using research and creative skills, and volunteer to improve the social responsibility of students.
In September 2024 the MEHE Strategy 2024-30 was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, prime minister and minister of foreign affairs. The main objective of the strategy is to advance Qatar’s education sector through high-quality instruction, fostering continuous professional skills-based development, ensuring equal access to learning opportunities, for educators and establishing environments that utilise the latest advancements in teaching practices. The ministry of education, said that the strategy aligns with the NDS-3 as well as QNV 2030.
The strategy covers four main aspects: early childhood, primary and secondary levels, higher education and vocational training. In terms of early childhood education, one goal of the strategy is to increase childhood education enrolment rates, aiming to double the current figure of 44% by 2030. As for primary and secondary education, the plan aims to ensure that students are taught to have strong character and positive learning attitudes. Aligned with this goal was the launch of the My School, My Community programme by the MEHE, which includes a new policy regarding student ethics and behaviour. The strategy also aims to diversify vocational, technical and tertiary education, and ensure that the curricula follows the needs of the current job market as well as future demands.
Regarding Qatar’s educational priorities, these are firmly entrenched within the national development strategies of the NDS-3 and QNV 2030. The former is focused on seven outcomes: sustainable economic growth, fiscal sustainability, a future-ready workforce, cohesive society, quality of life, environmental sustainability and government excellence. Under the sustainable economic growth outcome, there is a sustainable growth model with four elements: energy, diversification, business environment and innovation. Education is an integral aspect of the diversification goals, with the priority to make Qatar an international destination for higher education, while enhancing specialisation and encouraging employment in the private sector. Another education-related priority under NDS-3 is to have STEM graduates comprise a share of greater than 18% of all graduates by 2030, an increase from the 10% witnessed in 2024. The NDS-3 has also placed a focus on early childhood education as the strategy aims to ensure that children in early childhood have access to basic education and care via modern curricula practical teaching methods and digital tools.
Visionary
QNV 2030, the country’s long-term national development framework, has four main aspects: human development, social development, economic development and environmental development. Education falls under the programme’s human development aspect, which has three objectives: aligning curricula with the current and future job market; providing high-quality education and training according to each person’s aspirations and skills; and promoting educational programmes that facilitate lifelong learning. Other educational and research priorities under QNV 2030 include empowering educational institutions that are accountable and independent under specific guidelines; fostering an efficient system for funding scientific research by both the public and private sectors together with international entities and global research centres; fostering innovation; and creativity, and instilling national morals, values and traditions in children.
Budget
The government’s expenditure on education has fluctuated over the years. In 2017 the government allocated 8.56% of its total expenditure towards education, which rose slightly to 8.64% in 2019. This figure rose to 9.3% in 2020 but then fell to 8.9% a year later. In 2023 the government allocated $4.9bn to education, accounting for 9% of total government expenditure. To put it into context, budgetary allotments for education between 2017 and 2020 accounted for around 3% of GDP. Looking to the future, in December 2024 the Ministry of Finance announced that the government expected QR197bn ($54.1bn) in revenue, with plans to allot QR19.4bn ($5.3bn) to education in FY 2025.
Vocational & Technical Training
The Department of Vocational, Technical and Specialised Education under the MEHE is a dedicated entity tasked with oversight and supervision over the vocational and technical training segment. The department has various responsibilities, including suggesting policies and programmes for vocational and technical training and specialised education; assessing Qatar’s needs in terms of vocational, technical and specialised education institutions; creating curricula for these subsectors; and supervising and advising select institutions responsible for vocational, technical and specialised education.
Qatar Skills Academy in Doha is a notable provider of vocational and technical education opportunities. In line with QNV 2030, the academy has various programmes that provide training and professional development, and offers vocational programmes. It has internationally accredited and certified training programmes, and offers business and technology education courses. QatarEnergy, the national energy company, offers vocational training opportunities for Qatari youth, providing them with skills that they can later leverage for careers in the energy sector. Another player in the ecosystem is Learnovate, which offers courses spanning health care, education, management and vocational training. Learnovate’s mission is to use education and training to allow its students to excel in their careers.
Edtech
The use of technology in education has made learning in Qatar more interactive and effective. Technological, interactive tools are being integrated in learning across Qatari classrooms, creating not only a more practical learning experience for students but also a more efficient teaching process as teachers are able to customise education to suit the varying learning needs of students. Edtech also contributes to the digital literacy, allowing students to learn the digital skills needed in the modern world. Examples of technological tools used in Qatari classrooms include smart boards – which are interactive whiteboards – and apps, online platforms and games that increase student engagement.
In March 2025 the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), a QF initiative, announced it was accepting applications for its 2025-26 EdTech Accelerator Programme. The main objective of the programme is to support innovation and create an edtech community. The accelerator has two main tracks tailored for early-stage edtech start-ups: the local track created for Qatar’s educational market and the international track, which is positioned to support various start-ups globally.
Outlook
Qatar is focused on integrating innovation in education and creating a generation of students that is knowledgeable about the country’s core values and equipped with the skills needed to meet the needs of the labour market. The country aims to make itself a higher education centre, increase private sector participation, diversify vocational and training opportunities, and have a robust scientific research landscape. Achieving this will require constant monitoring and an evaluation system ensuring education initiatives align with QNV 2030. Working with the international educational landscape and implementing international educational practices, while ensuring that Qatar’s national priorities are being adhered to, will also be beneficial. Further enhanced collaboration between the public and private sector is needed to advance the education sector and achieve the goals of QNV 2030.
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