Education & Training
From The Report: Saudi Arabia 2020
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Education has long been a key sector in Saudi Arabia and a major recipient of government funding. Recently, focus has shifted to boosting the efficiency and quality of services, while also integrating technology in order to achieve the government’s ambitious goals for the sector as part of Saudi Vision 2030, the country’s economic diversification plan. To this end, the authorities are increasingly turning to the private sector for support, creating new opportunities for foreign investors. The year 2019 saw various international players enter Saudi Arabia’s private general education segment, which is still largely underdeveloped. Opportunities for private sector involvement are not limited to traditional education providers, with the rollout of edtech initiatives opening the door for technology companies to develop innovative new systems to modernise teaching and learning in the country. This chapter contains an interview with Ibraheem Almuaqel, Rector, Saudi Electronic University.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Aiming high: Ongoing reforms to improve the quality of teaching are coupled with a focus on technology and vocational skills
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Education has long been a key sector in Saudi Arabia and a major recipient of government funding. Recently, focus has shifted to boosting the efficiency and quality of services, while also integrating technology in order to achieve the government’s ambitious goals for the sector as part of Saudi Vision 2030, the country’s economic diversification plan. To this end, the authorities are increasingly turning to the private sector for support, creating new opportunities for foreign investors.…

Interview

Harnessing potential: Ibraheem Almuaqel, Rector, Saudi Electronic University, on using new technologies to enhance digital learning
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Interview:Ibraheem Almuaqel What is the importance of using new technology to make positive impacts in all levels of education? IBRAHEEM ALMUAQEL: It is imperative that current education models recognise the role of technology in knowledge transmission and is responsive to the needs of the millennial generation that grew up in an era of pervasive use of IT. Therefore, the education sector must adopt strategies that incorporate technology in teaching and learning that meet the needs of today’s…

Analysis

Open enrolment: Moves to develop the private education segment offer new opportunities for foreign investors
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Spurred on by the government’s efforts to increase the involvement of private players in the sector and a 2018 regulatory amendment allowing 100% foreign ownership of schools, universities and colleges, education is one of the largest recipients of foreign investment in Saudi Arabia. Opportunities continue to emerge in the general, vocational, technical and special educational needs segments: in 2019 the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) announced that the number of business…