Private Higher Education Institutes in the GCC: Opportunities and Challenges
- shereenhamadeh
- Oct 11, 2022
- 3 min read
The private higher education sector in in Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia only emerged in the early 2000s possibly as an attempt to supplement government higher education entities who, while facing rapid growth and change, were unable to meet local market demands.
The very definition of private higher education in the GCC is largely complex. In Saudi Arabia, private entities can be for profit or not for profit; in Qatar, many entities labelled as private are largely subsidized by the Amiri Diwan; and in Oman, some private entities are offered 50% subsidies or large grants as incentives.
Nonetheless, there are higher education entities that have emerged and those that plan to emerge fully funded by private investors.
For those, we attempt to answer two questions:
Why should governments support private higher education investors in the gulf, and what challenges may those investors face?
Benefits:
1) Choice, diversity, and access
The private sector has brought in a diverse range of innovative degree offerings which students had to previously travel out of the country to pursue. For example, in Oman, various specialised colleges have emerged such as the International Maritime College Oman and Oman Dental College. In Qatar, the private sector has AlRayyan International University offering Tourism specific degrees.
When the demand for higher education in the government sector increased, government universities increased entry criteria. This left a large section of society unable to access higher education without leaving the country; an option which can be even more difficult for female students. The private higher education market has been able to offer more flexible entry criteria creating opportunities for both local citizens as well as expats unable to travel.
2) Innovative approaches, small class sizes.
Many of the private higher education entities in the GCC boast smaller class sizes and support for students. In Oman, private education entities allowed for part-time study and provided the market with more opportunities for continuing education. In Saudi Arabia, Yamamah University set up a Microsoft Innovation Lab and a Creativity and Innovation Center to support all creative student initiatives. In Qatar, the newly established Global Studies Institute has partnered with world class universities allowing students to attend classes live via state-of-the-art technology simultaneously with their peers and professors in the US.
3) Economic Sustainability
The private sector is an essential component to any sustainable economy. It reduces the financial burden on the public sector while creating jobs. While countries would traditionally send students for international scholarships, that money invested could be reallocated internally to increase local economic activity.
Challenges:
From the perspective of private entities, many of which rely solely on tuition fees for funding, these entities may face multiple challenges. Increased overhead costs are a challenge in the region especially the costs related to recruiting and retaining quality faculty. In addition, the private sector’s licensing has coincided with increased spending on public education. In Qatar, while 8 private higher education institutes have been licensed in the past 6 years, the government has established 20+ publicly funded higher education entities offering free or subsidized tuition fees. Since the private sector is fairly new, the funding and financial support mechanisms such as student loans have not been established. In Saudi Arabia, student recruitment was reported as a significant challenge with most scholarships going towards government entities.
For governments, there is a strong need to ensure oversight and quality assurance while offering support to the private sector. For example, Oman currently offers 1000 full scholarships to students wanting to pursue their education in private higher education institutes as well as 600 partial scholarships. These entities must fulfil the government standards. Qatar likewise has plans implement a national accreditation scheme which would be linked to scholarships.
In summary, the private higher education sector has the potential to increase diversity, choice, innovation and access. Yet, governments have the responsibility to provide clear quality standards while supporting these institutes' sustainable growth.
Sources:
Jamjoom, Y., 2012. Understanding private higher education in saudi arabia-emergence, development and perceptions (Doctoral dissertation, Institute of Education (University of London)).
Al-Lamki, S.M., 2002. Higher education in the Sultanate of Oman: The challenge of access, equity and privatization. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 24(1), pp.75-86.
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