July 2013: The education sector in the Middle East is expected to grow exponentially on the back of a rising population, increasing private sector participation and growing unemployment.

Especially in countries like Saudi Arabia, government spending has been increasing and currently contributes to ~25% of the total budget. The total spend (government and private) on the Saudi education sector in 2012 was ~USD 56bn, of which USD 45bn (~80%) was contributed by the government. However, the share of the private sector has been gradually increasing – from 18% in 2007 to 20% in 2012. This is expected to rise to 22% in 2017.

For investors in the private education sector, prospects appear very bright as there have been a slew of regulatory developments promoting the education sector. Although investment opportunities are on the rise in this sector, we know that with high returns come higher risks. Private players need to determine the right location, right offering and correct price points to capture a healthy share of the pie.

This white paper – titled Growing Saudi education sector – an oasis or a mirage? – highlights:

• Changes and latest trends witnessed in the Saudi Arabian education sector

• Rise in investment and increase in involvement by the private sector

• Challenges that private investors are likely to face

• Steps that private investors could take to exploit this opportunity

To download a complimentary copy of the white paper, please follow this link