Market Intelligence Brief for Saudi Arabia now available

by Kevin Prest
08/03/2022
Higher Education Institutions

Saudi Arabia is home to the largest economy in the Middle East and is the world’s second largest producer of oil after the United States. It is one of the leading sources of international students in the UK and other major English-speaking destinations thanks to large-scale scholarship programmes that provide funding for Saudi students studying undergraduate and postgraduate programmes abroad. The country's large foreign population also creates a strong demand for international schools.

Saudi Arabia's education system has achieved strong growth in enrolment but still faces quality challenges. Education plays a critical role in a wider series of reforms that aim to liberalise Saudi society and economy and prepare the country for a post-oil future, with goals in the education sector including improving teaching standards and quality assurance as well better aligning the education system with labour market needs.

This 26-page report gives an overview of the Saudi education system and the country's wider demographic, economic and political context, with a focus on international education trends in the country - including both student mobility and transnational education. It aims to provide useful information to UK education institutions and other UK stakeholders considering partnerships with Saudi counterparts and to support further cooperation and engagement between the UK and Saudi Arabia.

Eligible users can download the report for free. Register an account here.

Download the Market Intelligence Brief for Saudi Arabia.


The Market Intelligence Brief is designed to provide you with an overview of a particular country. Using the latest data from the most reliable sources, it represents a window onto the country's education system and student population as well as the economic, demographic and social factors that shape its higher education sector. The report covers not only updated analysis on macro-economic and socio-economic indicators, but also provides a full picture of the education market of a given country.

If you encountered any problems when downloading the report, please e-mail insightsandconsultancy@britishcouncil.org.

If you have any questions or feedback on this report, please fill out our feedback survey or email john.mcnamara@britishcouncil.org

About the Author

Kevin Prest
Education Insights Global Team - Senior Analyst

Kevin leads on the team’s data analysis, providing UK education institutions and other stakeholders with insights and evidence-based recommendations to help them understand overseas markets, recruit overseas students and develop international partnerships. He joined the British Council in 2014 and is based in Beijing but works on projects across the globe.

Add new comment

Please note that comments by non-members are moderated. They do not appear on the site until they have been approved. Comments by registered members appear here immediately. Your email address will not be published. All fields are required.