Four affordable private schools to provide 5,000 seats in Qatar

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) signed contracts today for the allocation of government land for the construction and operation of four private schools, with the winning national companies of the tenders that have already been put forward and evaluated by the Public Works Authority, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, during a ceremony held at the main theater at the permanent headquarters of the Ministry of Education.

The signing ceremony was attended by H.E. Mrs. Lulwa bint Rashid Al Khater, Minister of Education and Higher Education, H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry, H.E. Eng. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Meer, Chairman of the Public Works Authority, along with representatives of developers, members of the Committee for the Allocation of Land for the Construction and Operation of Private Schools, and a number of senior officials, school principals and representatives of local media agencies.

The contracts were signed by Mr. Omar Abdulaziz Al-Naama, Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, on behalf of Her Excellency the Minister of Education and Higher Education, with the Indian Islamic School, represented by Mr. BrayiY. Moido Siddique, which is located in the Al Wukair area and follows the Indian curriculum. CardiffInternational School, represented by Dr. Hamad Mubarak Al-Kaabi, is located in Al-Wukair and follows the Egyptian curriculum, Pearl Boudar School, represented by Mr. Mohamed Nizar, located in Mansoura region and follows the Indian curriculum, Al-Zaytoun International School, represented by Mr. Saleh Abdullah Al-Sulaiti, located in Al-Sailiya area and follows the Indian curriculum, all of which are co-educational schools that include all academic stages and with easy fees.

The signing of these contracts comes within the framework of the UAE's efforts to strengthen the partnership between the public and private sectors, and in implementation of the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, which aims to expand the contribution of the private sector in supporting the national development process and its active participation in the implementation of priority development projects, in a way that contributes to meeting the growing needs of the education sector and enhancing its efficiency and sustainability.

The four schools are expected to provide 5,000 seats, supporting the deliberate expansion of the private education sector, increasing its capacity to keep pace with the growing demand for educational services, enhancing the diversity of educational options available to students and parents, and positioning private education as a strategic partner in achieving the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

On this occasion, Mr. Omar Al-Naama expressed his happiness with the signing of these contracts for the construction of private schools that represent a qualitative addition to the education system in Qatar, and contribute to providing more opportunities and various educational options that meet the needs of students and parents, pointing out that the selection of the locations of the new schools came according to a study that took into account the population density and geographical distribution of the various regions of the country.

Al-Naama stressed that the Ministry of Education will continue to work to attract investors by creating an attractive and stimulating environment for investment in the private education sector, based on its belief in the pivotal role played by this sector as a key partner in the development of education and enhancing the quality of its outputs, in line with the country's aspirations and development plans.

Al-Naama noted the continuous growth of the private education sector in Qatar, which currently includes (354) private schools and kindergartens, (25) various educational curricula, and more than (271,090) beneficiaries of its services) male and female students, while (25,372) employees of various nationalities and experiences work in it.

With regard to the incentives provided by the State to support investment in private education, Al-Naama stressed that the State of Qatar provides a wide range of benefits and facilities, including customs exemptions, exemption from electricity and water fees, allocation of land and school buildings, provision of textbooks, and granting educational vouchers to Qatari students, in addition to other benefits that contribute to encouraging investment and enhancing the sustainability of the sector, which reflects positively on the quality of educational services and reduces the financial burden on parents.

For his part, Mr. Saleh Majed Al-Khulaifi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industry and Business Development Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, stressed that the signing of these contracts represents an important step in strengthening the partnership between the public and private sectors, and expanding the participation of the private sector in the implementation of development projects, in line with the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Al-Khulaifi explained that the project reflects the state's keenness to create a stimulating investment environment for the private sector, by providing the necessary land and infrastructure, and providing investors with the opportunity to take over the work of financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance, pointing out that the total capital and operational expenditure expected from the private sector during the project's 25-year period reaches about 1.48 billion Qatari riyals.

He added that the project contributes to attracting private sector investments to the education sector, through the establishment and operation of four private schools with affordable tuition fees, which meet the growing demand for various educational curricula, stressing the keenness of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to continue cooperation and coordination with the concerned authorities to support initiatives that provide new investment opportunities for the private sector and contribute to achieving sustainable economic development.

For his part, Eng. Mohammed Masoud Al Marri, Chairman of the Committee for the Study and Follow-up of Public-Private Partnership Projects at Ashghal, stressed the importance of partnership projects in enhancing integration between the two sectors and supporting sustainable development, and that the signing of these contracts reflects the cooperation between government agencies and private companies to develop educational infrastructure and raise the efficiency of the implementation of projects in accordance with international best practices.

He added that Ashghal is keen to enhance the participation of the private sector in the implementation of development projects and provide high-quality services that meet the needs of the community, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

In a related context, Dr. Rania Mohammed, National Leader of the Public-Private Partnership Project and Attracting Investment in the Private Education Sector, stressed that the partnership projects contribute to enhancing cooperation between the government sector, schools and private kindergartens, supporting the development of private education and enhancing its role in development, which allows the exchange of experiences and benefiting from available resources and capabilities, in addition to launching innovative educational initiatives that contribute to the development of the school environment and expanding qualitative opportunities for students.

She explained that the implementation of the projects is carried out in accordance with clear frameworks of governance and transparency, announcing a trend to announce new partnerships and initiatives soon that support the diversity of services in the private education sector and serve students and the community.

At the end of the ceremony, the Ministry of Education praised the partnership with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Public Works Authority, stressing the continued support for initiatives that contribute to expanding the investment base in the education sector, and enhancing diversity and quality in educational services, in line with the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and keeping pace with population growth and future educational needs.

It is worth mentioning that the committee of the project of allocating land for the construction and operation of private schools, is chaired by Mr. Saleh Majed Al-Khulaifi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industry and Business Development Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the membership of representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Public Works Authority and the State Audit Bureau.

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