Education sector in Saudi Arabia: overview by Al Yamamah University

Prof. Hussein M. AlFreihi, President of Al Yamamah University talks about education sector in Saudi Arabia.

There has been quite the stir regarding the 2015 budget. Authorities have allocated almost 57.8 billion dollars to education, a 3% increase over previous years. Now, a quarter of the budget is going towards education. Which reforms should policymakers focus on, in your opinion?

Saudi Arabia is a growing nation. Statistics show that 70% of the population is under the age of 30. There is a huge demand for education. One need only look to the increasing number of universities and colleges opening up in the past 15 to 20 years to see that. Right now, the Kingdom has 28 public universities and 12 private ones, and nearly the same number of private colleges. We also have vocational training programs, and other options for military-specific training, or for medicine.

We cannot develop properly as a country without raising the standard of education, particularly in the sciences– engineering and computer sciences, for example- as well as in vocational training. Investment in education and in health sciences will prove very rewarding.

Investment in education and in health sciences will prove very rewarding.

As it stands, the Kingdom employs about nine million expatriates. The only way to reduce the number of expatriates in the workforce so that we can begin to rely on Saudi nationals is to invest in education. It does not surprise me, then, that the government has allocated such a substantial amount of its resources to education; the government is committed to a high standard.

Other examples– countries such as South Korea or Singapore– have demonstrated that investment into the sciences is key to future competitiveness and success. Right now, Saudi Arabia’s economy is dependent on oil exports for more than 80% of the government’s revenue. Oil is a commodity. We have to prepare ourselves for the future, for a knowledge-based economy, and the only way to do so is through education.