School Mission to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Application deadline: 12 December 2018

DIT Saudi Arabia are organising a UK School trade mission to Riyadh from 8-9 January 2019 to look at opportunities in Saudi Arabia. This mission is part of wider activity that DIT are working on as part of UK support for Vision 2030. We invite UK schools, operators and investors to apply to attend, whether you have an existing presence in Saudi Arabia or want to enter the market.

Why Saudi Arabia? Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the MENA region with some 33 Million people with an average of age of 29. The GDP in Saudi Arabia is $646bn (2016) with some 23% spent on education, whilst 70% of the population are under 30 years old. The “Saudi Vision 2030” programme of social and economic reforms has been introduced to diversify the Kingdom’s economy away from a heavy reliance on oil and government funding.

Education is a high priority for Saudi Arabia is a cornerstone for Vision 2030. This covers all areas of education from Early Years to Higher Education. Vision 2030 includes a strategic objective to increase private sector participation in the education sector and to create an attractive environment for local and international investors. There is significant demand for an English-medium international school education and Saudi Arabia is keen to attract top-quality schools to meet this need.

Now is the right time to get involved in this exciting emerging market. Boston Consulting Group predict that Saudi Arabia’s private education market will double from $5 billion in 2016 to $12 billion in 2023. This will be driven by the shift of students to private schools (from 18% in 2017 to 30% by 2023), enrolment growth at Nursery level (currently less than 20%), tuition fees rising faster than inflation and imminent changes to legislation allowing foreign investment and ownership of private schools.
Programme. The trade mission will enable delegates to engage with the Saudi government including the Ministry of Education, Tatweer and Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority (SAGIA). The delegates will meet with Saudi investors and potential
local partners and have the opportunity to visit 2-3 private schools. There will also be a networking reception at an international college and to hear lessons learned from a successful international schools’ operator. This is an excellent opportunity for interested companies to explore Saudi Arabia’s untapped business potential and highlight the UK’s commitment to investing in the Kingdom’s future.

Logistics - Visas - How to apply