(MENAFN- The Peninsula) DOHA: More than 1,000 new schools are expected to be set up in Qatar by 2020 in the private and public sectors, according to a report released by Alpen Capital, organisers of the forthcoming International and Private Schools Education Forum (IPSEF) Middle East.
Throughout the Gulf 50,000 schools are expected to be set up by 2020 as public and private stakeholders seek to capitalise the growing education market in the region.
According to the report, 41,678 schools will have been established throughout the GCC in the public education sector by 2020; and 9,301 schools in the private education market.
Saudi Arabia leads with 44,441 schools expected to be set up, followed by 2,054 in Oman and 1,497 in Kuwait. Next comes the UAE with 1,406, followed by Qatar with 1,107 and Bahrain with 503.
The GCC Education Industry report says the new facilities are meant to address the growing school population that is expected to reach 15 million by 2020.
'Experts estimate about 51,000 schools will be needed by 2020 to accommodate the growing demand for schools throughout the GCC,” said Rhona Greenhill, co-founder IPSEF.
'This will be a significant addition of 7,000 more schools than the current number to address the burgeoning school student population across the region.”
Last year alone, figures from the GCC Education Construction report identified more than 500 educational projects in various stages of development collectively worth more than $50 billion throughout the Gulf region.
The projected capacity gap has prompted both public and private sector stakeholders, including international school operators to focus on the education market through increased government spending and long-term development strategies.
'By bringing together the diverse community involved in a new operation, IPSEF aims to provide participants with not only valuable case studies of schools from across the MENA region but importantly a host of contacts that will enable them to plan their project with confidence,” said Greenhill.
The Peninsula