During Education Week organized by the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises “Monsha’at”, a delegation of officials and experts from educational development companies engaged in the SMEs Support Centers. The primary objective was to shed light on the potential prospects within the education sector. These Support Centers were held in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Madinah, and Al-Khobar."

Engineer Adel Lezhi, the Vice President for Investment and Asset Management at Tatweer Building Company (TBC), emphasized the commitment of the Ministry of Education to engage with the private sector. He highlighted a range of programs aimed at incentivizing investment, streamlining license acquisition, and granting full access to educational facilities and infrastructure under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education in order to provide direct educational support.

Fahad Al-Qahtani, the Executive Director of Content Development and E-Solutions at Talemia, mentioned that the Kingdom's Vision 2030 aims to increase the enrollment rate of students in private education from 14% to 25%. This requires doubling efforts in the private sector to meet the growing demand for services in the upcoming years in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

Furthermore, Fahd Al-Sa'ani, the Director of the Education Vouchers Program at Tatweer Education Holding Company, emphasized the government's commitment to delivering comprehensive services to its citizens. In line with this commitment, concerted efforts have been made to develop inclusive models that cater to diverse groups with disabilities. The government has actively encouraged the private sector by providing financial support to procure seats in private educational institutions.

Abdulaziz Al-Sa'iri, the Deputy Executive Director of the Products Sector at Tatweer Educational Technologies Company, pointed out the remarkable growth of the local educational technology market, which exceeded $1.6 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $4 billion by 2028. He also mentioned the initiatives launched in partnership with Monsha’at to support investors and entrepreneurs in turning graduation projects into successful businesses in the field of educational technologies.

Hamoud Al-Azimi, Director of Private Business Management at Rafed Transportation Services Company, affirmed the crucial role of transportation in the education system. He highlighted the significant influx of investors into the transportation sector, resulting in an elevation of the quality of services provided in education.

During a separate dialogue session, Dr. Hessa Al-Mish'an, the General Director of Special Education at the Ministry of Education, discussed the efforts and investment prospects within the realm of special education. She emphasized the provision of services to students with disabilities and the repatriation of scholarship students with disabilities back to the Kingdom. Meeting these needs necessitates the availability of educational and support services, thus presenting promising opportunities for the private and non-profit sectors to deliver these services in accordance with the highest international standards.

Dr. Naif Al-Zarae, the Director of Education in the Riyadh region, highlighted the significant investment made in activities and services catering to students with special needs. He stated that there are 1.3 million students in the Riyadh region, 10,000 of them have disabilities. Out of these, 1,200 students are currently receiving services exclusively in private education. He also mentioned that Riyadh constitutes 50% of the non-oil economy in Saudi Arabia, indicating promising investment opportunities for those interested in providing educational services.

The Education Week activities continue until tomorrow, Thursday, including several relevant topics where education leaders and stakeholders in the education system meet with entrepreneurs and business pioneers. The objective is to foster communication, establish relationships, enhance awareness among institutions, entrepreneurs, and SME owners, and introduce them to promising investment opportunities in the education sector.

As part of the Education Week activities at the SMEs Support Center in Jeddah, Awatif bint Fahd Al-Harithi, the General Supervisor of the Private Education Agency at the Ministry of Education, and Manal Al-Lahibi, the Director General of Education in Jeddah, participated in a dialogue session. They discussed the promising investment opportunities in the private and international education sectors in the Kingdom, particularly in early childhood education. Al-Harithi praised the collaborative efforts of "Monsha'at" and the Ministry of Education in providing facilities and improving the legislative environment for the private education sector, in line with the goals of Vision 2030.

The Ministry of Education has taken several measures to facilitate investment in private and foreign education within the SMEs sector. Investors have been granted the authority to manage their internal organizational structures and leverage electronic platforms like the Madrasati platform. The ministry has also offered support to schools in developing extracurricular activities and allowed the utilization of school buildings outside school hours.

On her part, Al-Lahibi explained that investment in education has undergone notable changes, with a focus on supporting investors. She pointed out the diverse and promising investment opportunities available, extending from the Ministry's office to various services such as digital transformation. The Ministry has delegated operational tasks to the private sector, recognizing the importance of collaboration and integration with all sectors for development.