Education Saudi private schools’ report card points to untapped potential Saudi Arabia has the Gulf’s lowest rate of students attending private schools, despite being the region’s largest market, a report has found. Consultancy Colliers, which published its overview of K-12 education (kindergarten to 12th grade, covering ages 5 to 18) in the kingdom last month, attributed the low take-up to issues around education quality and […] January 2, 2024
Media & Advertising In the streaming age, the TV stays on after Ramadan YouTube creators and streaming services are changing the face of television all over the world – but particularly in Arab countries, according to executives who attended the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah this month. The entertainment industry in the Middle East traditionally focused on the fasting month, when TV shows could find a captive […] December 18, 2023
Tech UAE cybersecurity is failing, say IT executives Inadequate technology is one of the primary causes of data breaches suffered by UAE companies, despite huge investments made by IT departments in the Gulf state to combat cyberattacks, say experts. Companies in the Mena region spent $2.8 billion on cybersecurity last year, according to US technology research and consulting firm Gartner. Yet a report […] December 8, 2023
Saudi schools ‘doing better at maths but still lagging behind’ Saudi Arabia’s schools have improved in the past few years, but are still below the international average and a long way behind the best performers, according to the OECD. Teenagers from 81 countries were tested for the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which published its 2022 report on Tuesday. The tests measured the […] December 5, 2023
Transport Neom fund invests in US supersonic aircraft maker Newly launched Neom Investment Fund (NIF) has invested in Boom Supersonic, a US company developing the world’s fastest airliner. The value of the investment was not given. However, Boom confirmed that the total funding to date now exceeds $700 million. As part of the agreement, Boom and NIF will collaborate on opportunities to make the Gulf […] November 13, 2023
Development Saudi Arabia to invest $500m in African development Saudi Arabia is to sign agreements worth more than SAR2 billion ($533 million) with African nations to invest in development projects and help boost “Africa’s voice” in international affairs. “Today we’ll witness the signing of agreements between the Saudi Fund for Development and a number of African countries for projects exceeding 2 billion riyals,” the […] November 9, 2023
Tech AI education takes centre stage in the UAE Just over three-quarters of UAE students aged between 12 to 15 believe that artificial intelligence skills are critical in finding a job after finishing education. Some 77 percent of those surveyed by Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed Bin Zayed University (MBZUAI) of Artificial Intelligence said AI aptitude and literacy were critical for their generation. To harness the […] November 6, 2023
UK’s Gordonstoun to open Abu Dhabi campus in 2026 The UK boarding school Gordonstoun, which boasts King Charles III as one of its former pupils, will open its first regional campus in Abu Dhabi’s Jubail Island master development in September 2026. Jubail Island Investment Company (JIIC) and Spaces Investment & Real Estate Development (Spaces) have signed an agreement with Gordonstoun, obtaining the exclusive regional rights to […] October 25, 2023
Tourism Saudi Arabia launches sustainable tourism research centre Saudi Arabia has launched a research centre aimed at making tourism more sustainable and giving the travel and tourism industry the knowledge, tools and resources required to hit net zero. The Global Solutions Hub will be overseen by the Sustainable Tourism Global Centre (STGC) and has partnered with academic institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, Les […] October 18, 2023
Tourism AlWadi is latest project in Saudi Arabia’s tourism push Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has launched a new company to develop sustainable tourism in the kingdom’s southwest region, which aims to contribute more than SAR19 billion ($5.07 billion) to the non-oil GDP by 2030. Spread across 2.5 million square meters, AlWadi – meaning “the valley”– will be developed by Ardara, a wholly owned subsidiary […] October 17, 2023
Construction New PIF unit to transform Jeddah’s Al Balad district Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has launched the Al Balad Development Company to develop Jeddah’s historic Al Balad district as the kingdom targets 150 million visitors by 2030. The transformation will lead to the creation of Jeddah as an economic hub and a global cultural and heritage destination. BDC will focus on improving the district’s […] October 4, 2023
People & Lifestyle Almost all unemployed Saudis ready to join private sector Almost 95 percent of unemployed Saudi nationals are open to taking up jobs in the private sector, according to the latest survey by the kingdom’s statistical authority. Unemployment among citizens of the kingdom state declined marginally to 8.3 percent in the second quarter from 8.5 percent in the first quarter of 2023. The overall unemployment […] September 28, 2023
People & Lifestyle Climate anxiety rises among Mena youth More than two-thirds of 18-to-24-year-olds in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) say they are “very concerned” about the potential impacts of climate change. More than half are ready to boycott brands that damage the environment, a survey shows. Previously unreleased findings from the 15th annual Asda’a BCW Arab Youth Survey, published earlier this […] September 28, 2023
Tourism $1bn tourism school to open in Saudi’s Qiddiya Saudi Arabia plans to build a $1 billion tourism school in the Qiddiya sports, culture and entertainment city giga-project. The Riyadh School for Tourism and Hospitality will train workers from around the world, not only Saudi Arabia, tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb told a UN World Tourism Organization gathering in the capital. The training headquarters at […] September 27, 2023
People & Lifestyle Georgetown launch a sign of growing US presence in Dubai Georgetown University has launched its business programme in Dubai as more US companies set up shop in the UAE. The Washington DC-based university’s McDonagh School of Business this week welcomed its first cohort of 53 students to its new Executive MBA. Located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Academy, the 19-month programme covers business […] September 15, 2023
UAE refocuses education to be fit for modern demands The UAE is expanding its school curriculum beyond academic subjects and setting up vocational colleges to match the education demands of the modern labour market. In one sign of its willingness to reform entrenched practices to boost outcomes, the Emirates has made its “Salama” Arabic language, Islamic studies and ethics curriculum for fourth-graders optional. For […] September 6, 2023
Analysis Inside Saudi Arabia’s plans to raise the bar on education Saudi Arabia has launched a series of initiatives to address deep-seated issues in the quality of its education. Last month the giga-project Neom unveiled plans to roll out a “comprehensive” early-childhood-to age-18 education programme. The scheme includes a career-oriented talent academy, an education, research and innovation foundation and the Neom U university. Elsewhere, the kingdom’s […] September 6, 2023
Opinion People & Lifestyle Mixed emotions as ‘back to school’ fever sets in For the expat community in the UAE the education system is a business – and business is good September 1, 2023
Cop28 Cop28 and Coursera launch UAE climate literacy drive UAE education providers will offer online courses on climate change mitigation, adaptation, finance and other topics through a partnership between e-learning provider Coursera and Cop28‘s organising body. A curated programme of more than 100 courses in climate literacy will be offered in the run-up to and beyond the United Nations conference in Dubai later this […] August 11, 2023
Infrastructure GCC needs 1,127 new schools by 2027 as enrolment rises The Gulf will need over a thousand new schools by 2027, according to a new report published on Wednesday. The prediction is based on the total number of students in the GCC growing by 1.6 percent annually to reach 14.2 million by 2027. Growth in student enrolment numbers at K-12 (kindergarten to 12th grade, or […] August 2, 2023
Construction Aldar Education expands into Bahrain and Dubai Aldar Properties has increased investment in its education business, with over AED350 million ($95 million) added to the initial AED1 billion commitment announced last year, it said on Monday. A filing to the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange notes that the company is expanding into Dubai and Bahrain, as well as adding a new acquisition in […] July 31, 2023
Banking & Finance Schools operator Taaleem enjoys profit rise of 35% Taaleem, the Dubai-listed schools operator, posted a surge in net profit for the nine months up to 31 May, driven by a strong increase in student enrolment. The company also benefitted from unrealised gains from its initial public offering (IPO) last November. Net profit rose 35 percent year on year to AED199.8 million ($54 million) […] July 11, 2023
