Director: Daniel C. Levy

Saudi Government Support for Private Institutions

(Summary by Yingying Xu)

PROPHE Summary:
The Saudi Arabian government has given private organizations permission to
set up 2 new universities and 36 colleges as part of the country's education privatization. The colleges, which will be in 9 cities and add to the country's 6 existing private colleges, have received licenses for establishment from the Ministry of Higher Education. The government's authorization for 2 private universities is also presented as a measure to facilitate citizen access to higher education. Overall project implementation is supposed to attract an investment of SR3 billion. Government incentives include subsidized land for campuses and accommodating loans for building construction.

For the full story (shown with permission) see the Arab News, June 22, 2003, "Govt OKs Setting Up of 2 New Universities," by M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=0§ion=1&article=27798&d=22&m=6&y=2003

PROPHE Observation:
The Saudi moves fit a present North African tendency for governments (e.g., Jordan, Kuwait, Tunisia) to promote private higher education expansion. This contrasts in part with regions in which expansion has occurred largely outside the framework of official policy or initiative. The idea of expanded access, at only limited financial cost to government, is a common attraction for governments. Also typical is for more growth to come in colleges than universities, but the establishment of universities illustrates the expanding mix of forms that private growth assumes internationally.