YEAR 2001 PRESS RELEASES

Saudi Government education and manpower training

Budget  for 2001 to reach US$14.21 billion 

 1st April 2001

   The 13^th  Gulf Education and Training Exhibition, which will be held from 24 to 27 April 2001 at the Dubai World Trade Center, is expected to attract a large number of Human Resource Managers and Senior Executives from GCC Ministries of Education.

  “Last year several visitors from educational authorities around the Gulf visited the 4-day event. The show represents an annual opportunity for those senior executives to explore new educational programs and sign partnership deals with a selected number of international institutes,” said David Domoney, Managing Director, International Conferences & Exhibitions, organizers of the show.

  GCC governments have over the last few decades demonstrated substantial commitments to the educational sector. For instance, the government of Saudi Arabia allocated  US$ 14.21 billion (SR 53.3 billion) for education and manpower training for the year 2001, an

  eight percent increase over year 2000's budget. Last year, the amount allocated for education was nearly 25 per cent of the total Saudi budget totaling up to US$ 13.17 billion (SR 49.4 billion).

   In 1970 the number of Secondary schools in Saudi Arabia was only 50, and the Saudi universities and colleges had nearly 7,000 students enrolled. Today, thirty years later, there are over 800 secondary schools in Saudi Arabia and nearly 200,000 students enrolled in Saudi universities and colleges.

  Equal emphasis is given on both men and women's education in the Kingdom. For instance, out of the nearly 5 million students enrolled in Saudi schools for the academic year 1999-2000, about half were female.

  There are currently over 4,000 intermediate schools and close to 2,000 high schools, with a ratio of 15 students to every teacher, one of the lowest ratios in the world. The educational standards in Saudi Arabia continue to improve, with the literacy rates reaching 90.9 percent for men and 70.2 percent for women. There are nearly 1,500 adult education centers for male students and 2000 for women.  

  As part of its efforts to make education available to students residing abroad, some GCC countries have established educational institutions throughout the world especially in the United States, Britain and Germany.

  Many Saudi students who graduated from universities in the GCC, opt to complement their studies by pursuing graduate and postgraduate degrees in their specialty fields abroad and the government also supports many of these choices by offering scholarships to hundreds of students each year.

About the Exhibition:

The Exhibition will be opened daily from 1000 - 1300h and 1700 - 2100h at Halls 5a & 5 at the Dubai World Trade Center and admission is free.

For more information contact:

Lamya Tawfik, PR Account Executive

Orient Planet PR & Marketing Communications

Tel: +971-4-3988901, Fax: +971-4-3988941, Dubai, UAE

E-mail: oplanet@emirates.net.ae

  International Conferences & Exhibitions Ltd, Head Office:  

Tel.: +44 (0) 1442 878222, Fax:  +44 (0) 1442 879998

E-mail: general@ice-ltd.demon.co.uk

  International Conferences & Exhibitions Ltd, Gulf Office:

Tel.: 971 (4) 3460503, Fax: 971 (4) 3460498

E-mail: icedxb@emirates.net.ae