Mansoor Ahmed, the Director for Healthcare, Education, and PPP at Colliers International, highlighted that Saudi Arabia’s higher education sector is the largest individual education market in the Arabian Gulf region.
Mansoor Ahmed, the Director for Healthcare, Education, and PPP at Colliers International, highlighted that Saudi Arabia’s higher education sector is the largest individual education market in the Arabian Gulf region.
Saudi Arabia is projected to require an additional 800,000 seats by 2030 to meet growing demands, according to the recent Colliers’ market report: “Higher Education in KSA: Changing Demand in line with Vision 2030.”
A significant number of these seats will be dedicated to specialized university courses focusing on technology, artificial intelligence, and sustainable energy.
This shift aligns with the nation’s trajectory toward a cleaner and more technologically advanced future.
Mansoor Ahmed, the Director for Healthcare, Education, and PPP at Colliers International, highlighted that Saudi Arabia’s higher education sector is the largest individual education market in the Arabian Gulf region.
Report findings
The sector boasted a substantial enrollment of two million students in 2022, as revealed in Colliers International’s latest report on the educational landscape in the Kingdom.
Ahmed added that a substantial 95 percent of Saudi Arabia’s two million higher education students are enrolled in public and semi-public institutions, indicating a considerable dependence on the public sector for higher education.
The preference for public institutions is driven by the perceived higher quality of education and better job prospects they offer.
The report examines the present and anticipated size of the higher education market in Saudi Arabia by 2030, providing insights into the evolving landscape in alignment with Vision 2030, pointing out opportunities for investors, developers, and operators in the sector.
Saudization
As part of the economic transformation outlined in Vision 2030, the Saudi government seeks to enhance private sector participation in higher education.
As the economic transformation and diversification initiatives outlined in Vision 2030 and the Saudization drive drive increased demand for higher education, Colliers anticipates a shift in preference from traditional courses to emerging disciplines such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotic sciences, nuclear energy, sustainable energy, renewable energy, and solar energy, according to Ahmed.
Anticipating a rise in future demand for the health, hospitality, and SME sectors, Colliers underscores the importance of developing local talent, particularly in technical roles.
As the Saudization drive gains momentum, the report recommends a collaborative effort to address the growing demand for skilled professionals, especially in healthcare and hospitality.
The report forecasts the overall demand for higher education to reach 2.75 million seats by 2030, underscoring the necessity for additional capacity, representing a surge of over 800,000 seats compared to 2022.
Study in Saudi
Saudi Arabia organized the Study in Saudi forum, which featured Dr. Sami Al-Haisouni from the Saudi Ministry of Education, exemplifying the country’s dedication to global education and cultural exchange. The forum served as a platform to showcase the nation’s notable achievements in higher education, emphasizing the diversity and quality of educational opportunities.
Dr. Al-Haisouni highlighted that more than 140,000 students, representing 160 different countries, have successfully completed their studies in Saudi Arabia. These statistics, coupled with the Study in Saudi forum, underscore the nation’s commitment to welcoming and nurturing educational talent from around the world.
Decrease in research affiliation
Recent reports revealed a significant decline in the number of top researchers affiliated with Saudi Arabian universities. This development follows revelations that these institutions had been enticing eminent scientists from abroad to declare a Saudi affiliation, often in exchange for cash, to boost their global rankings.
In 2022, Saudi Arabian universities were affiliated with 109 of the world’s most cited researchers. This number has now dropped to 76, according to Siris Academic, a research consultancy based in Barcelona, Spain.
The decrease is attributed to concerns raised by universities and research institutions in Europe and other regions about the ethicality of such affiliations. Additionally, tighter scrutiny from Clarivate, a publishing analytics company, has influenced this trend.
