American University of Beirut and Harvard Business School alumnus Karim Khayat serves as CEO of Seeds Education today. Under Karim Khayat’s stewardship, Seeds Education has risen to prominence as an industry leader supporting education providers as the facilitators of lifelong learning. This article, based on published research, will explore the explosive growth seen in Kuwait’s education sector in recent years.
According to report published by Ken Research in 2022, Kuwait’s education market remains in its growth stage. The report cites overhauls and changes made to the curriculum via government interventions and subsidies as a major market support parameter.
Two organisations oversee operations in Kuwait’s education sector today, namely the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education. The market registered almost 6% market growth for the period 2012 to 2017.
In 2016, Kuwait’s Ministry of Education allocated KWD 2 billion in funding in its annual budget for the K-12 education sector, meeting targets set out in its Integrated Education Reform Program and School Education Quality Improvement Project, both of which are geared towards developing the curriculum, improving learning outcomes, encouraging effective teaching and refining the efficiency of education.
According to the Ken Research report, Kuwait’s education market is predicted to reach more than KWD 900 million in 2022. Growth in the country’s K-12 education market is attributed to a rising schooling population and increased demand for private education, as well as an increase in scholarships with foreign universities and others.
Kuwaitis enjoy a relatively high disposable income compared with citizens of other countries, which is driving a shift to private schools due to the enhanced educational value and improved future prospects they offer. Between 2012 and 2017, the number of private schools in Kuwait grew by 2%.
Currently, 40% of all Kuwaiti students attend private schools. The market is somewhat fragmented, incorporating a variety of different school types, each presenting their own curricula. The majority of private schools are individually owned, presenting more scope for large-scale operators to take over.
Experts predict that Kuwait’s test prep market will continue to expand, with a combination of both international and local players operating in the market. Major catchment areas include Kuwait City, Salmiya, Hawalli, and Fahaheel.
As of 2016, around 80% of the Kuwaiti population was online, spawning increased demand for e-learning services. Although some technological limitations remain in terms of bandwidth and low internet speeds, with security concerns also presenting barriers to e-learning implementation, the future is promising overall due to mobile penetration and the increasing popularity of online portals to read e-books. Smart classes have received largely positive feedback from K-12 schools.
Meanwhile, in Kuwait’s teacher training market, despite budget cuts, the steady rise of the student population has driven considerable growth in recent years.
About Seeds Education
With offices in Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom, Seeds Education unites the expertise of a group of related companies, drawing on a wealth of experience with different areas of the education sector to provide clients with a seamless service provision. Established in 1968, the company operates with the ethos that effective learning is underpinned by strong values combined with a commitment to helping every individual attain the success they are capable of. Seeds Education’s products and services are tailored to the unique needs of each client, with the company and its subsidiaries boasting decades of experience in providing customised publishing services and educational products.
