BOOM TIMES IN THE MIDDLE EAST


From Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, there is a growing demand for international education. Sally Robinson reports.


T 54


he Middle East is the world’s fastest growing region for international schools, thanks to a growing population, a post-pandemic influx of expats and a voracious appetite for an


international English-medium education. According to a recent ISC Research report exploring


the growth in international schools, western Asia (excluding Egypt) is the leading region globally for international school enrolments, with just under 2 million students. Over the last five years there has been an 8% increase in the number of international schools to 2050.


“The most premium markets are Dubai, Abu


Dhabi, and probably Qatar,” Ashwin Assomull of LEK Consulting told a recent International and Private Schools Education Forum conference in London. “Riyadh also represents a huge opportunity, but at a lower price point.” Demand is being driven by an increase in the number


of expats, particularly from China, Ukraine, Russia and South East Asia, coupled with the return of western expats post-covid, particularly in Dubai, where the population of 3.5 million is expected to almost double in the next 20 years. There is also an increasing and significant demand


from locals, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where many parents benefitted from an international education and want the same for their children. Elsewhere in the region, Qatar, Shajah and Ras Al Khaimah are also growing markets.


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