199 foreign investment applications received in Saudi education sector: Minister

Yousef Al-Benyan, Minister of Education

Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan stated that the maturity of the investment environment has helped attract foreign and international investment. Thus, 199 applications were submitted to invest in general or higher education, reflecting the competitive edge of the Saudi market.

Speaking during the Investment in Education and Training Forum, Al-Benyan added that the ministry is working to provide an integrated ecosystem of enablers for investors. Regulatory enablers to provide operational autonomy to ensure adequate returns and flexibility aligned with investors’ strategies, in addition to operational enablers through the development of the digital infrastructure of the education system to deliver services to beneficiaries and investors, enhancing productivity, flexibility, and beneficiary services; and financial enablers through the purchase of services that will boost private sector participation.

The Minister also explained that achieving the education strategy cannot be realized by the government sector alone but rather through integration between the public sector, the local and international private sector, and the non-profit sector.

He further indicated that the ministry is working to create a regulatory environment that increases private sector participation—both local and international—as well as non-profit involvement in achieving the education and training strategy, through enabling policies, greater flexibility for foreign investment, clear investor guidelines, and transparent privatization pathways.

“At the Ministry of Education and across the education ecosystem in general, we seek to establish a sound regulatory and legislative environment. We also recognize that education is not merely about expenditure, but investment in people. We all look forward to shaping the future for our sons and daughters to realize the aspirations of the leadership and families—so that the Saudi citizen is not only locally or regionally competitive, but internationally competitive as well,” Al-Benyan said.