Education & Training
From The Report: Saudi Arabia 2015
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Education continues to be a major focus for Saudi Arabia, with an estimated $399.75bn spent on education between 2005 and 2015. This trend is set to continue, as the creation of a knowledge economy forms the third objective of the Kingdom’s 10th Development Plan. Private instruction continues to gain in popularity – the number of pupils at private schools grew by about 9% a year between 2008 and 2011 and currently makes up around 14% of the K-12 sector. Under the Kingdom’s Colleges of Excellence programme, meanwhile, international training providers run a range of vocational courses and build their own curricula to be taught at purpose-built facilities supplied free of charge by the Saudi government. Regionally, the e-learning market in the broader Middle East is set to expand by 8.2% annually as governments invest to support the segment.

This chapter contains interviews with Azzam Al Dakhil, Minister of Education; Ali Al Ghafis, Governor, Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC); Abdullah Al Mosa, CEO, Saudi Electronic University (SEU); and Badran Al Omar, Rector, King Saud University.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

A top priority: Efforts are increasing to expand offerings across all levels
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Some SR1.5trn ($399.75bn) was spent on education between 2005 and 2015 in Saudi Arabia under the rule of the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a national newspaper calculated. Under his successor, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, education looks set to remain a priority, with the creation of a knowledge economy stated as the third objective of the Kingdom’s 10th Development Plan (2015-19). One aspect of the late ruler’s legacy was the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Project for Development…

Analysis

Spend away: Government spending for education focuses on new universities and schools
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Education accounted for the highest expenditure of any single sector in Saudi Arabia’s budget for 2015, equivalent to 25% of total anticipated spending. The annual statement does not include defence and security spending, but Jadwa Investment says that examination of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency figures for 2014 suggests that it accounts for 35%. The 2015 budget also showed a 3% rise in the annual spending allocation for education. The financial outlay represents a continued commitment to…

Interview

Training initiatives: OBG talks to Azzam Al Dakhil, Minister of Education
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Interview: Azzam Al Dakhil What initiatives are helping ensure that high school graduates have the skills to enter local universities and thus minimise the need for a preparatory year? AZZAM AL DAKHIL: The Ministry of Education is implementing many programmes aimed at helping students enrol in universities. For example, it has prepared vocational guidance to help high school students choose their field of university study and organised a series of self- development training programmes and it trains…

Analysis

Tech drive: Adopting new technology to enable student-centric learning
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Driving forward with reforms to modernise teaching, measure standards and improve spatial diversity by educating people in all corners of the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia is using technology to provide solutions and alternative ways of teaching and learning. Khalil Al Ibrahim, rector of Hail University, told OBG, “In higher education, knowledge moves quickly, technology changes and it is incumbent upon universities to keep up with these changes. This requires investment in top technologies and…

Interview

Meeting market demand: OBG talks to Ali Al Ghafis, Governor, Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC)
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Interview: Ali Al Ghafis What role is the private sector playing in expanding the capacity of the Kingdom’s training sector? ALI AL GHAFIS: TVTC has taken two approaches in developing the training sector, both of which involve close coordination with the private sector. The first is the strategic partnerships programme where we are working with local businesses to develop institutes such as the High Institute for Plastic Fabrication, which is a public-private partnership (PPP) between TVTC, Saudi…

Interview

Back to school: OBG talks to Abdullah Al Mosa, CEO, Saudi Electronic University (SEU)
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Interview: Abdullah Al Mosa How can local universities increase the use of technology and e-learning in the classroom? ABDULLAH AL MOSA: E-learning is growing faster than ever before in the Kingdom, especially as a greater emphasis is being placed on its development by the Ministry of Education (MoE). All universities now have access to learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard, giving each institution free access to programmes and hosting, thereby encouraging greater incorporation of…

Analysis

New chapter: A variety of programmes will ensure the market has the trained workforce it needs
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The newest manifestation of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to ensuring its young people have the skills to survive and thrive in a diversified knowledge economy is the Colleges of Excellence (CoE) programme. By August 2015, there were 37 CoE institutions offering free training and education to Saudi citizens across the Kingdom. Under the CoE model international training providers with expertise run a range of vocational courses for men and women, as well as staff and operate their own curricula…

Interview

Sharing knowledge: OBG talks to Badran Al Omar, Rector, King Saud University
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Interview: Badran Al Omar How would you characterise the relationship between the public and private universities, and to what extent can they complement each other? BADRAN AL OMAR: The Kingdom’s public and private universities enjoy excellent relations and we complement each other in many ways, including knowledge-sharing and via several research collaborations and partnerships. This facilitates the transition to a knowledge-based economy, which is the long-term vision of the Kingdom’s leadership.…

Analysis

Wider horizons: The King Abdullah Scholarship Programme funds thousands of students to complete their studies abroad
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A central pillar of Saudi Arabia’s drive to become a knowledge-based economy over the last 10 years has been the King Abdullah Scholarship Programme (KASP). In the budget for 2015, the Ministry of Finance announced that SR22.5bn ($6bn) had been allocated for the year to fund 207,000 Saudi citizens living abroad, including the scholars and their dependents and guardians. The sum represented 2.5% of the entire national budget and more than 10% of the allocation for education. It did not include…