UAE Private Education Experiences Rapid Growth

Education Investment Conference examines investment, expansion and partnership opportunities for investors and operators in the private education market

Dubai, 21 October, 2013: Education investment in the Middle East is growing significantly, as the region continues to attract some of the best educational institutions in the world to cater to soaring demand.  The increased demand in the region, coupled with a growing population domestic and expatriate community, is increasing demand for private education across the pre-KG, K-12, higher and vocational sectors.

Tareq Al Ameri, Promotion and Business Development Division Manager at Abu Dhabi Education Council's (ADEC's) Private School and Quality Assurance sector, and speaker at the second Education Investment MENA Conference which kicked off today, agrees.

“There is a rising demand for private schools. In an effort to keep up with the annual growth rate of 5 percent for more private schools across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, ADEC fully supports investors/operators in the private school sector.  This is done by providing guidance on complying with regulation requirements, offering long-term land lease agreements with nominal rental fees, leasing ex-governmental school buildings for short term (until the school develops its new premises) and promoting transparency by publishing annual reports regarding the private school market (number of students, number of new schools, average tuition fees).”

Al Ameri added: “ADEC has been conducting various workshops for serious and committed investors who have background experience with the private school sector and will continue to do so in an effort to help familiarise investors/operators with ADEC's regulations and their rights and responsibilities.  One  of these includes delivering affordable yet high quality education equal to international educational standards.”

Dino Varkey Chief Operating Officer of GEMS Education, the global K-12 private education provider concurs. Varkey participated in the Education Leaders Panel today to discuss the critical role that private education is playing in global educational growth.

“We are witnessing a shift in the attitudes and mind-sets of those that matter. Today, there is a collective willingness to cast aside the traditional, intellectual debates about the role of private sector in education, in favour of an approach that seeks to bring together powerful partnerships in any, and all contexts, so that we may address the most significant challenge of this century – Quality Education for All, ” said Varkey.

The growth in education is not only confined to schools. Western branded higher education institutions are growing at a rate of 15% per annum in the UAE. There are 120,000 students enrolled in the region's higher education sector, of which 78,000 are in private institutions. Higher education penetration is growing significantly in the region with the UAE hosting 37 international branch campuses; the highest number in the world.

“This presents an opportunity for private investors to deploy capital in higher education institutions that can provide sustained and predictable income growth,” said Ashwin Assomull, Partner at The Parthenon Group and speaker at the Conference. “The rate of economic growth in this region, coupled with increased affluence within the population, has spurred the growth of the private education sector.”

A recent report by The Parthenon Group found that an increasing number of international K-12 institutions and universities are entering the GCC as it represents a huge opportunity to increase their global reach as well as improve financial returns. The report found that within the private sector, “Western private” institutions are growing more than twice as fast as the rest of the higher education market.

The Conference examines investment, expansion and partnership opportunities for investors and operators in the private education market in MENA, and takes place from October 21-23 at The Address Hotel, Dubai Mall. It highlights the major opportunities for education operators, investors and financers to develop new education establishments and businesses in the Middle East's diverse markets. 

Other speakers addressing the opportunity for Higher Education establishments in MENA include  Dr Hesham Wagih Gomma, Manager of Planning and Performance in the Higher Education Department of the Abu Dhabi Education Council; Professor Ammar Kaka, Vice Principal and Head of the Dubai Campus at Heriot-Watt University; Amol Dani, Chief Operating Officer of the Qatar Campus at Georgetown University; Dr Ayoub Kazim, MD of the Education Cluster at Dubai International Academic City; and Vinod Abraham, Director of External and International Affairs at Gulf Medical University.

About IIR Education Investment Summit

Education Investment MENA, taking place from October 21-23 at The Address Hotel Dubai Mall, UAE will unveil major growth, investment and partnership opportunities for education operators and investors in MENA. The must-attend event, supported by the KHDA and sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Education Council, D3 Consulting, Itqan Capital, GEMS Education, Aldar Academies, Gulf Medical University, Clyde & Co and Manipal Global will highlight major prospects for operators, investors and financiers in the MENA region. Speakers for the event include; Dino Varkey of GEMS Education, Dr Abdulla Al Karam of the KHDA, Dr Ayoub Kazim of Dubai International Academic City, Ashwin Assomull Partner of Parthenon Group, Kamil Najjar of Kids First Group UAE, Poonam Bhojani of Innoventures Education and many more. For more information please visit www.iirme.com/edinvestmena/home.