Multiple global external trends are shaping the future and will have major implications on higher education in the Arab World. These are our views on the most important issues and what needs to be done.

1. Arab World Higher Education
Situation Analysis and Options
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2. The Arab World trails in most higher education indicators
Only 5% of all global spending on higher education occurs …Resulting in stress on systems, with 71 student-faculty
in the Arab World (61% in NA & EU)… ratio in Business Schools, at 5X OECD average
Student-Faculty Ratio in Arab World
[OECD
Avg: 16]
Higher Education enrollment rate at 24% is higher than However, a disproportionate number (46%) graduate from
developing countries but lower than developed nations Arts, and only 8% hold Masters or PhD degrees
Evolution of Gross Higher Education Enrollment
Graduates by Graduates by
Country 2003 2004 Change
Algeria 14.98 20.00 5.02 Field Degree Level
Bahrain 25.20 34.00 8.80
Djibouti 0.36 2.00 1.64
Egypt 39.00 33.00 -6.00 Masters PhD
6% 2%
Iraq 13.57 15.00 1.43
Jordan 28.62 39.00 10.38 17%
Kuwait 21.08 22.00 0.92
Lebanon 36.67 48.00 11.33 Business
Libya Developed countries 51.17 55.00 3.83
Mauritania
typically have enrollment 5.60 3.00 -2.60 46%
Morocco
Oman rates of 60% or higher
9.34
4.70
11.00
13.00
1.66
8.30
Arts 92%
Palestinian Territories 25.95 38.00 12.05
37% [OECD Bachelors
Qatar 27.66 18.00 -9.66
Saudi Arabia 22.44 28.00 5.56 Science & Avg: 25%]
Sudan 6.85 NA NA
Syria 6.09 NA NA Technology
Tunisia 19.30 29.00 9.70
UAE 12.10 22.00 9.90
Yemen 10.77 9.00 -1.77
Total (%) 19.07 24.39 5.32

3. Higher education in the Arab world is facing several challenges starting from its underlying
environment through to demand and consumption
Higher Education – Key Findings
Consumption and
Environment, Funding and Institutions
Related Beneficiaries
Infrastructure (Education Supply)
(Education Demand)
Big spenders on education in order of magnitude: Universities account for at least 86% of the total More females than males are enrolled in higher
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Morocco number of students in higher education education; Only five countries in the Arab World
have more male students
Avg. regional expenditure per student is US$ 2,444, Teaching is didactic, with no emphasis on students Education is more developed in Jordan, Lebanon,
OECD countries average US$ 14,027 per student becoming independent learner and critical thinkers Libya, and the Palestinian Territories, where
enrollment is near 40% or above
Many universities do not have sufficient Universities that teach in Arabic have limited
institutional resources for teaching and research choices regarding texts and teaching material The higher the degree level, the larger the
proportion who study abroad: 5.7% at the BA
Current system does not reward faculty level, 13.0% at MA level, and 34.4% at Ph.D. level
Centralized educational systems are organized to
performance and full time engagement in
facilitate expansion rather than performance-
academia The bigger education spenders in the region have
oriented systems with emphasis on quality
higher quality domestic labor markets
Arab scholarly, scientific, and professional
Governments lack experience in policy and strategy organizations operate at a low level of activity Few partnerships between the private sector and
development as well as in planning and
education institutions which produce graduates
management of higher education systems
Institutions rely on faculty members educated with new and adaptable skills and who possess the
abroad with a variety of intellectual background ability to continuously upgrade their skills
Leaders require accurate data to compare
and educational practices
institutions, promote more informed decision
There have been attempts to link higher education
making about programs, and formulate policies
100,000 faculty members in institutions of higher to development and social issues but they center
education; 60% of them have PhDs; (40%) have on public awareness campaigns rather than on key
Profit-oriented, private institutions are not
M.A.’s, but only a few (15.5% of both groups) hold changes in the curriculum or the community
adequately accommodated in educational policy
professorial titles
and there are no governmental quality standards
Legend
Favorable Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
| 3

4. The Arab World has also not implemented a number of the international best practices in
higher education
Higher Education in Arab World compared to International Best Practices
International Best Practices Current State in the Arab World
Institutions deliver curricula with a strong linkage to the There is a lack of relevance of higher education programs
skills demanded by labor markets and curricula to development needs and the labor market
Education institutions provide leadership development Anecdotal evidence suggests that universities are not
opportunities through extra curricular activities and providing sufficient levels of leadership opportunities in
curricula enrichment comparison to global standards
Faculty engaged in knowledge based society through Faculty is reluctant to engage in academia fulltime,
publication in journals and professional associations;
relevancy is ensured through training in technology and impacting knowledge production; scholarly/professional
participative teaching methods organizations are weak
Education is integrated with social development to Efforts have centered on public awareness rather than on
increase community engagement key changes in the curriculum or the community
Governments promote quality at the national and Emphasis has typically been on quantitative expansion
institutional levels through policies and systems of rather than educational quality and systems of continuous
institutional oversight improvement
| 4

5. Worldwide there are 105 million tertiary students with 11.8% average world enrollment;
only 4 Arab countries fall significantly below the world average
Territory size shows the proportion of people worldwide
enrolled in tertiary education.
Source: Worldmapper | 5

6. Regionally enrollment is 24% with large variation between countries; Enrollment is higher
than developing countries but lower than developed
Evolution of Gross Higher Education Enrollment Total Full and Part Time Enrollment in Tertiary Public and Private Instutions
Country 2003 2004 Change Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Algeria 14.98 20.00 5.02 Country
Bahrain 25.20 34.00 8.80 Algeria ... 549,009 624,788 682,775 716,452 755,463
Djibouti 0.36 2.00 1.64 Bahrain ... ... ... 19,079 18,524 18,841
Egypt 39.00 33.00 -6.00 Djibouti 190 496 728 906 1,134 1,696
Iraq 13.57 15.00 1.43 Egypt ... ... ... 2,153,865 2,512,399 2,594,186
Jordan 28.62 39.00 10.38 Iraq 288,670 ... 317,993 ... 412,545 424,908
Kuwait 21.08 22.00 0.92 Jordan 142,190 ... 162,688 186,189 214,106 217,823
Lebanon 36.67 48.00 11.33 Kuwait ... 34,779 36,982 37,153 36,866 38,630
Libya 51.17 55.00 3.83 Lebanon 116,014 134,018 142,951 144,050 154,635 165,730
Mauritania 5.60 3.00 -2.60 Libya 290,060 324,603 359,146 375,028 ... ...
Morocco 9.34 11.00 1.66 Mauritania ... 9,033 8,173 8,941 9,292 8,758
Oman 4.70 13.00 8.30 Morocco 276,375 310,258 315,343 335,755 343,599 366,879
Palestinian Territories 25.95 38.00 12.05 Oman ... ... 36,204 36,826 41,578 48,483
Qatar 27.66 18.00 -9.66 Palestinian Territories 71,207 80,543 88,930 104,567 121,928 127,214
Saudi Arabia 22.44 28.00 5.56 Qatar ... 7,808 7,831 7,826 9,287 9,760
Sudan 6.85 NA NA Saudi Arabia 404,094 432,348 444,800 525,344 573,732 603,671
Syria 6.09 NA NA Sudan 204,114 ... ... ... ... ...
Tunisia 19.30 29.00 9.70 Syrian Arab Republic ... ... ... ... ... ...
UAE 12.10 22.00 9.90 Tunisia 180,044 207,388 226,102 263,414 291,842 311,569
Yemen 10.77 9.00 -1.77 United Arab Emirates 43,459 58,656 63,419 68,182 ... ...
Total (%) 19.07 24.39 5.32 Yemen 173,130 ... ... ... 192,071 201,043
Total All Arab States 5,545,811 5,610,541 5,939,658 5,874,484 6,519,997 6,782,849
For Comparison 2004
Countries in Transition 54%
Developed Countries 65%
Developing Countries 16% Key Takeaways
• From 2003 to 2004 enrollment rates climbed by 5%. In the region tertiary education is
more developed in Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, and the Palestinian Autonomous
Territories, where higher education enrollment is near 40% or above.
• Egypt has nearly 40% of the entire Arab higher education student population.
Source: UNESCO | 6

7. While enrollment is high, regional spending is low; 61% of spending occurs in North
America and Western Europe; Only 5% occurs in the Arab World
Territory size shows the proportion of all spending on
tertiary education worldwide that is spent there,
when measured in purchasing power parity US$.
Source: Worldmapper
| 7

8. While regional government educational budgets have increased, spending in the
Americas and Europe were 15 times that of the Arab World
Territory size shows the proportion of all increases in spending on
tertiary education between 1990 and 2001.
Source: Worldmapper
| 8

9. In the Arab World, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Morocco spend the most; Data suggests
spending is correlated to the quality of labor markets
Key Takeaways Public Expenditure on Tertiary Education
As a % of Total Government Education Expenditures
• Big spenders on education
relative are in order of magnitude: Country 1990 1998-2000 2005
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Egypt NA 33.30% NA
Morocco. Jordan 35.10% 33.00% NA Quality of Domestic Labor Market
Lebanon NA 28.50% 11.00%
• Arab States compare very well Syria 21.30% NA NA
Rank Country Score
with non-Arab ones. Relative to Bahrain NA NA NA
1 Jordan 66
Kuwait 16.00% NA 12.70%
their GNP standing, many invest in 2 Lebanaon 64
Oman 7.40% 1.60% 24.20%
education more than France. 3 Egypt 62
Qatar NA NA NA
S. Arabia 21.20% NA 27.60% 4 Morocco 60
• There is a continued trend UAE NA 2.40% 27.40% 5 Saudi Arabia 60
toward increased government Algeria NA NA NA 6 Tunisia 58
budgets for higher education in Libya NA NA NA 7 West Bank and Gaza 57
the region. Morocco 16.20% 16.30% 27.20% 8 Kuwait 51
Tunisia 18.50% 22.80% 20.80% 9 Algeria 46
• Higher spending may be Mauritania 24.90% NA NA 10 UAE 43
correlated to the quality of the Yemen NA NA NA
11 Bahrain 38
domestic labor market as shown Iran 13.60% 19.40% NA
12 Qatar 38
in the snapshot below from the
Comparator Countries 13 Oman 36
2007 Arab Business Intelligence
1990 1998-2000 2005 14 Yemen 26
Report. The bigger spenders in the
Malaysia 19.90% 31.90% NA Overall 52
region generally have higher
quality domestic labor markets. France 13.80% NA 10.90%
Spain 15.40% 20.10% 11%
Sources: UNESCO, Arab Human Development Report, PricewaterhouseCoopers Arab Business Intelligence Report
| 9

10. Lower spending levels in the Arab World are reflected in student spending: average regional
expenditure per university student is US$ 2,444, while OECD countries average US$ 14,027
per tertiary student
University Expenditure Per Student in the Arab World (1995-96) Key Takeaways
Total Students (BA, • The Spending variance is vast: the highest is Oman, at $15,701, and the
Country Total Expenditure in $000 Cost/Student ($)
MA & Ph.D. (in 000) lowest is Yemen, at $515. Second to Oman, the most expensive students are
Egypt 907 $1,079,900 $1,191 invariably in the oil-rich States: Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and
Iraq 158 $358,000 $2,270 Qatar. All these States, with the exception of Saudi Arabia, are small in
Jordan 76 $216,400 $2,855 population and in student bodies.
Palestine 37 $62,700 $1,717
Lebanon 82 $251,300 $3,067 • Those countries with the largest numbers: Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and
Syria 173 $186,800 $1,082 Syria, spend much less.
Bahrain 4 $43,100 $10,351
Kuwait 25 $279,700 $11,313
Oman 5 $75,900 $15,701
Qatar 8 $57,400 $7,620 A Note on Financing Education in the Arab World
S. Arabia 231 $2,283,000 $9,868
U.A.E. 14 $126,100 $8,731 • Arab Countries as a group have historically, at least since 1980, spent
Algeria 224 $484,600 $2,161 slightly more per capita on education than other developing nations, but
Libya 66 $135,000 $2,055 significantly less than developed countries.
Morocco 255 $372,200 $1,462
Tunisia 93 $180,000 $1,930 • Meeting the combined demands of increased access, assuring relevance,
Sudan 108 $66,900 $621 and improving quality in the face of diminishing resources will severely test
Yemen 111 $56,500 $511 governments and educators.
Djibouti 2 $1,800 $978
Mauritania 9 $8,900 $974 • Political pressures recommend against increasing the private costs of
Somalia 5 $2,400 $517 education. However, most countries will not be able to finance the
Total 2590 $6,328,600 $2,444 improvements necessary. More countries will need to explore cost recovery
at the tertiary level, at least for students from higher income families.
Source: UNESCO, OECD
| 10

11. Less spending also means that many Arab universities do not have sufficient institutional
resources for teaching and research
The Situation The Most Pressing Institutional Resource Challenges Include
• Most Arab countries have proven unable to meet the Information and Telecommunication Technologies
needs of all students desiring to pursue higher education
because of dramatic increases in student enrollment and • Globalization dictates the increasing use of technology, which is the most efficient means
insufficient resources. for production and communication of knowledge
• Establishing educational institutions is hard and costly, • Arab countries score below world averages on all connectivity indicators.
especially in rural areas which need such facilities.
• Anecdotal evidence suggests Arab universities are lacking in this area.
• Institutions require significant investment for buildings,
equipment, labs, libraries, and technology. Capital Less Than Adequate Libraries
expenditure data is scarce in the Arab World, though the
box below shows that facility spending is lacking versus • Some Arab universities now have modern libraries, but there are many university
comparator countries in the developed world. libraries still providing outmoded forms of service.
• Studies to determine the adequacy of the collection size of university libraries have
Education spending by purpose as a % of revealed that the majority do not meet the [American] Association of College and
total government education spending Research Libraries Standards, even in the affluent Arab countries.
Services, books,
Country Salaries other operating
Capital •Seating capacity tends to be inadequate
Expenditures
expenses
Kuwait 50.8 33.2 16.0 Research and Laboratory Facilities Lacking or Underutilized
Lebanon 97.8 1.8 .4
Morocco 72.3 19.8 7.8
Average 73.63 18.27 8.07
• In many Arab countries, instruction is based on theoretical training.
Comparator Countries • Research and laboratory facilities which promote more experiential learning are either
Services, books,
Capital unavailable or underutilized.
Country Salaries other operating
Expenditures
expenses
Australia 54.2 36.7 9.1
Hong Kong 73.5 22.3 4.2
Japan 46.8 38 15.2 Capital spending on Arab higher education institutions is
Malaysia 41.7 47.3 11
Korea 44.6 37.5 17.9
comparatively low. This indicates a lack of resources to
Brazil 72.2 24.5 3.3 spend on capital improvements such as those mentioned
France 71.6 16.7 11.8 above. The more developed countries generally have capital
Germany 64.8 26.4 8.8
expenditure rates of 10% or higher.
US 55.6 33.8 10.6
India 98.8 0.1 1
South Africa 9.2 90.6 0.1
| 11

12. In addition to lack of resources and spending, regional demographics also put significant
stress on the higher education system in the Arab World
Age Distribution for All Students
Arab UK
45%
40% Approximately 56% of students in the Arab
World are 20 to 29, the age demographic most
Total Number of Students
35% typically enrolled in tertiary education; In OECD
countries only 24.9% of the population between
30% 20 and 29 is enrolled in education.
25%
20% The low rate of students beyond 29 enrolled in higher
education as compared to the UK is indicative of a lack of a
lifelong learning culture in the Arab World.
15%
10%
5%
0%
Under 20 20 to 24 25 to 29 30 to 34 35 to 39 40 to 44 45 to 49 50 and
over
Source: United Nations Development Programme / Regional Bureau for Arab States ,
“Enhancement of Quality Assurance and Institutional Planning in Arab Universities,” Conducted in 2004 and 2005
| 12

13. Regional spending focus is on increasing access and not programs; BA degrees dominate
(91.8%) with MAs (6.0%) and PhDs (2.2%) a small proportion
Graduates from Technical Institutes and Universities with S&T Rates 1994-1995
Tech. Inst. Bachelor Masters Ph.D. Totals
Country Number % in S&T Number % in S&T Number % in S&T Number % in S&T Number % in S&T
Egypt 28,984 26 91,511 20 5,984 76 3,421 68 100,916 25
Iraq 24,784 38 29,564 32 652 84 709 61 30,925 34
Jordan 13,280 45 13,930 38 1,324 31 391 34 15,645 37
Palestine 1,665 42 5,492 38 695 38 76 55 6,263 40
Lebanon 4,687 41 9,501 34 666 43 116 37 10,283 35
Syria 14,415 45 14,170 62 495 87 90 63 14,755 62
Bahrain 409 54 1,139 41 77 52 8 63 1,224 42
Kuwait 3,260 34 6,225 23 205 50 25 32 6,455 23
Oman 948 55 1,221 32 27 26 27 48 1,275 32
Qatar 143 28 1,289 22 23 39 10 60 1,322 23
S. Arabia 1,706 25 26,687 14 1,280 34 450 30 28,417 15
UAE 1,073 43 1,691 29 57 54 53 51 1,801 58
Algeria 15,850 62 31,187 53 3,605 50 784 66 35,576 53
Libya 874 39 9,603 35 391 31 0 0 9,994 35
Morocco 6,114 34 27,959 39 1,111 68 485 64 29,555 40
Tunisia 3,941 39 12,166 32 2,599 20 349 54 15,114 28
Sudan 895 41 11,005 23 670 33 223 59 11,898 25
Yemen 3,367 14 8,298 21 39 31 31 55 8,368 21
Djibouti 0 0 516 7 23 26 8 38 547 8
Mauritania 163 28 2,163 20 115 47 17 47 2,295 22
Somalia 125 45 553 45 0 0 0 0 553 45
Total 126,683 39% 305,870 30.6 20,038 53% 7,273 6% 333,181 33
% of Total 91.8% 6.0% 2.2%
Key Takeaways Technical Institutes and University Colleges in the Arab World
• The higher the degree the larger the proportion of those who graduate in • Higher education includes institutions other than universities, notably the
S&T fields: 30.6% at the BA, 53.4% at the MA, and 60.2% at the Ph.D. level. University College (UC) and the Technical Institute (TC). UCs focus on one
discipline like agriculture, engineering, computer science, or pharmacy. TCs
• In the Arab World, the trend is for more 4 year Universities and more offer two year post secondary programs leading to a middle college diploma.
Technical Institutes but for less University Colleges.
• The UC model was common in the North African States of Algeria and
• The states which had the highest proportion of their students in Technical Morocco, and also in the UAE, Lebanon, and Iraq. The decrease of UCs is due
Institutes were the following: Bahrain Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, in most cases to their reorganization into universities. The expansion in the
Algeria, Tunisia, UAE, and Lebanon. number of Technical Institutes in the region is worth noting.
Source: UNESCO, OECD | 13

14. Expanded access has favored less resource intensive subjects: Arts account for (45.5%) of
graduates, followed by S&T (36.9%) and Business (17.6%)
Cumulative Ratios of Bachelor Graduates in the Arab World and Their Distribution by Major Fields of Study (1980-1995)
Country Science Engineering Medicine Agriculture Total S&T Business/Econ Arts Total H&SS Total (in 000's) %
Egypt 5.4 9.3 7.9 6.7 29.3 24 46.7 70.7 1583.5 42
Iraq 9.8 14.1 7.6 8.2 39.7 18.6 41.6 60.3 315.34 8
Jordan 12.4 20.4 11.3 4 48.1 18.3 33.6 51.9 135.04 4
Palestine 18.2 10.8 5.7 1.6 36.4 16.4 47.2 63.6 48.89 1
Lebanon 14.8 10.7 6.3 1.3 33.2 13.9 52.9 66.8 146.88 4
Syria 11.1 23.9 14.1 7. 56.2 7.6 36.2 43.8 203.08 5
Bahrain 12.8 21.1 3.2 .2 37.3 26.8 35.9 62.7 12.54 0
Kuwait 10.4 10.3 5.6 0.0 26.3 21.2 52.5 73.7 48.16 1
Oman 12.7 13.7 6.2 8.1 40.8 11.4 47.8 59.2 9.1 0
Qatar 9.7 6.6 3.3 .2 19.8 10.2 70. 80.2 10.29 0
S. Arabia 8. 7.6 6.4 2.7 24.7 9.7 65.5 75.3 174.55 5
U.A.E. 10.3 11.6 2.6 2. 26.5 20.8 52.7 73.5 15.37 0
Algeria 15.3 22. 15.2 4.6 58.1 10.2 31.7 41.9 315. 8
Libya 8.9 7.9 5.8 5.3 27.8 11.3 60.9 72.2 109.45 3
Morocco 25.1 4.1 6.3 1.5 37. 8.4 54.6 63. 318.78 8
Tunisia 29.2 9.8 12.1 2.9 54. 16. 30. 46. 120.11 3
Sudan 5.9 7.2 26.4 8.7 48.3 17.1 34.6 51.7 161.58 4
Yemen 6.6 10.6 10.3 6.8 34.3 16. 49.7 65.7 53.27 1
Djibouti 9.2 1.3 2.4 .3 13.2 13.2 73.7 86.8 3.8 0
Mauritania 11.2 11.5 2.8 1.1 26.5 4.7 68.8 73.5 17.08 0
Somalia 12.3 7.9 2.6 9.4 32.1 11.9 56. 67.9 15.91 0
Total (in 000's) 400.81 439.27 359.41 208.26 1,407.25 672.84 1,737.13 2,409.97 3,817.72 100
% 10.5 11.5 9.4 5.5 36.9 17.6 45.5 63.1
Comparison With the OECD
Approximately 25.3% of students in OECD countries graduate in Arts/Humanities fields, 37.7% in science and technology fields, and roughly 36.6% in business, law, and
the social sciences.
Source: UNESCO, OECD, Arab Human Development Report
| 14

15. A regional study also concluded that S&T and business administration students are
under represented relative to arts students in the Arab World
Distribution of Students by Subject Area and Course Level
Students at the Subdegree and First Degree Level Students at the Intermediate and Doctorate Level
18% 17.9% 17.6%
Proportion of Total Number of Students
16%
14%
12%
10.0% 9.7%
10% 9.1% 8.6%
8%
6% 4.7% 4.4%
4% 3.1% 2.6%
2.1% 2.1% 1.9% 1.7%
2% 1.6% 1.5% 1.3%
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Source: United Nations Development Programme / Regional Bureau for Arab States, “Enhancement of Quality Assurance and Institutional Planning in Arab
Universities,” Conducted in 2004 and 2005
| 15

16. Lack of regional postgraduate programs force students to study abroad; the higher the
degree level, the larger the proportion who study abroad: 5.7% at the BA level, 13.0% at
the MA level, and 34.4% at the Ph.D. level
University Students in Arab World by Level, Faculties, and Proportion Studying Abroad 1995- 1996
Bachelor Master’s Ph. D Total
Country Faculties Total % Abroad Total % Abroad Total % Abroad Total % Abroad Key Takeaways
Egypt S&T 152,153 2 28,222 2.3 14,749 14.4 195,124 3.
H&SS 683,902 0.3 14,982 .5 5,773 12.6 704,657 .4 • Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, and
Total 836,055 0.6 43,204 1.7 20,522 13.9 899,781 .9 Kuwait send a large proportion of
Iraq S&T 48,142 9.2 2,597 7.2 2,427 6. 53,166 8.9 their students abroad, particularly
H&SS 106,818 7.4 2,361 5.6 1,119 3.8 110,298 7.5 those studying in S&T fields at the
Total 154,960 8 4,958 6.5 3,546 5.4 163,464 7.9
Ph.D. level.
Jordan S&T 34,248 29.1 1,960 12.4 805 100. 37,013 30.8
H&SS 46,809 12.8 3,771 17. 1,238 87.2 51,818 15,4
Total 81,057 19.7 5,731 15.5 2,043 89.3 88,831 21.8
• Jordan has an exceptionally high
Palestine S&T 17,926 46.2 1,513 88.1 252 100. 19,691 50.1 rate of out-of-state students: all its
H&SS 31,854 17 1,279 79.7 169 100. 33,302 19.8 students in S&T fields at the Ph.D.
Total 49,780 27.5 2,792 84.2 421 100. 52,993 31.1 level go abroad. The same applies to
Lebanon S&T 23,967 21.3 1,244 48.7 262 97.3 25,473 23.6 Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Djibouti,
H&SS 47,253 6.4 1,262 51.9 328 63.4 48,843 9.2 Mauritania, Oman and Qatar which
Total 71,220 11.4 2,506 50.4 590 78.5 74,316 14.1 have all their Master’s students
Syria S&T 64,041 8.3 2,417 46. 337 84.9 66,795 10. abroad in all fields S&T and H&SS.
H&SS 104,434 2.5 236 32.6 158 57. 104,828 2.7
Total 168,475 4.7 2,653 44.9 495 76. 171,623 5.5
Bahrain S&T 2,809 37 155 2.3 31 100. 2,995 39.5
H&SS 2,441 28.5 118 44.1 15 100. 2,574 29.8
Total 5,250 33 273 61.9 46 100. 5,569 35.
Kuwait S&T 7,141 25.9 499 49.9 55 100. 7,695 27.1
H&SS 18,863 7.7 350 51.1 85 100. 19,298 10.2
Total 26,004 12.7 849 50.4 140 100. 26,993 15.
Oman S&T 2,206 17.2 27 100. 79 100 2,312 100.
H&SS 4,208 28.5 59 100. 73 100 4,340 100.
Total 6,414 24.6 86 100. 152 100 6,652 100.
Qatar S&T 1,851 8.5 35 100 37 100 1,923 11.9
H&SS 5,626 19.1 43 100 20 100 5,689 20.
Total 7,477 16.5 78 100 57 100 7,612 17.9
S. Arabia S&T 36,834 2.7 1,909 16.1 885 89.5 39,628 5.3
H&SS 186,165 .4 3,661 6.3 1,341 33.3 191,167 0.8
Total 222,999 .8 5,570 9.7 2,226 55.7 230,795 1.6
Study abroad statistics continued on next slide
Source: UNESCO, OECD | 16

17. Several of the countries in the Arab World send all of their PhD students abroad; many
of these students do not return home, they brain drain
Bachelor Master’s Ph. D Total
Country Faculties Total % Abroad Total % Abroad Total % Abroad Total % Abroad
Key Takeaways
UAE S&T 4,888 28.6 116 100 163 100. 5,167 32.5
H&SS 9,803 10.5 97 49.5 131 100. 10,031 12. • Several of the countries in the Arab
Total 14,691 16.6 213 77 294 100. 15,198 19. World send all of their PhD students
Algeria S&T 137,861 10 7,771 9.5 3,171 52.4 148,803 10.9 abroad. Examples include Palestine,
H&SS 98,536 13.5 5,610 7 1,489 38.3 105,635 13.5 Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE.
Total 236,397 11.5 13,381 8.4 4,660 47.9 254,438 12 This fact highlights the need for Arab
Libya S&T 24,725 208 764 32.2 176 93.2 25,665 4.2
universities to expand vertically to
H&SS 40,664 1.7 1,103 19.3 150 88.7 41,917 3.1
include more options for advanced
Total 65,389 2.1 1,867 24.6 326 91.1 67,582 3.5
Morocco S&T 80,078 18.8 4,544 66.4 2,688 71.9 87,310 22.9
PhD studies and research.
H&SS 177,878 50 16,385 6.5 1,267 69.1 195,530 5.5
Total 257,956 9.3 20,929 19.5 3,955 71 282,840 10.9 • On the basis of rather incomplete
Tunisia S&T 29,244 14.2 2,464 22. 1,058 58.1 32,766 16.1 UNESCO statistical information,
H&SS 62,160 5.4 4,207 3.2 696 35.5 67,063 5.5 estimates are that 12,000 Arabs earn
Total 91,404 8.2 6,671 9.4 1,754 49.1 99,829 9. PhDs abroad annually. 85%, or more,
Sudan S&T 39,455 2.3 736 11.7 571 21 40,762 2.8 of these do not return home: they
H&SS 64,319 0.9 3,075 1.7 802 7.7 68,196 1.1
brain drain. This is a loss to the Arab
Total 103,774 1.5 3,811 6.6 1,373 13.3 108,958 1.7
world of around 10,000 PhD
Yemen S&T 12,641 11.8 49 65.3 90 87.8 12,780 12.6
H&SS 99,564 1.1 98 31.6 69 85.5 99,731 1.2
graduates annually.
Total 112,205 2.3 147 42.9 159 86.8 112,511 2.5
Djibouti S&T 182 100 14 100 8 100 204 100. • There are 60,000 to 80,000 Arab
H&SS 2,199 16.3 27 100 11 100. 2,237 17.7 PhDs working in the Arab world,
Total 2,381 22.7 41 100 19 100. 2,441 24.6 compared with an estimated 150,000
Mauritania S&T 2,432 23 211 100 47 100 2,690 30.4 abroad. The Arab brain drain in
H&SS 7,818 7.1 185 100 46 100 8,049 9.7 absolute terms is comparable to that
Total 10,250 10.8 396 100 93 100 10,739 15.
of China and greater than that of
Somalia S&T 3,142 41.6 0 0 0 0 3,142 41.6
India, despite the striking
H&SS 4,320 35.1 0 0 0 0 4,320 35.1
Total 7,462 37.8 0 0 0 0 7,462 37.8 demographic differences.
Bachelor Master’s Ph. D Total
Total % Abroad Total % Abroad Total % Abroad Total % Abroad
S&T 725,966 11 57,247 17.1 27,901 36.6 811,104 12.3
Totals H&SS 1,805,634 3.5 58,909 89.1 14,980 34. 1,879,523 3.9
Total 2,531,000 5.7 116,156 13 42,871 34.4 2,690,627 6.4
Source: UNESCO, OECD | 17

18. At the tertiary level, more females than males are enrolled in higher education; Only five
countries in the Arab World have more male students
Percentage of Females Among Tertiary Education Students (%)
By Levels of Higher Education, Arab World and Comparator Countries Gender Parity Index in Higher Education
Lower than first First university Higher % of females in higher Country F/M Ratio
Country
university degree degree degrees education Algeria 1.08
Algeria NA NA NA NA Bahrain 1.84
Bahrain NA NA NA 60.01 Djibouti 0.82
Comoros 33.77 56.47 NA 41.88 Egypt NA
Djibouti 23.73 57.25 NA 46.84
Iraq 0.59
Egypt NA NA NA NA
Jordan 1.1
Iraq NA NA NA 34.05
Kuwait 2.72
Jordan 47.11 67.98 24.62 51.41
Lebanon 1.12
Kuwait 67.96 53.64 67.66
Libya 1.09
Lebanon 53.35 39.22 32.39 51.72
Libya 50.59 45.23 41.98 48.62 Mauritania 0.31
Mauritania NA NA NA NA Morocco 0.87
Morocco 43.13 33.05 31.12 42.3 Oman 1.37
Oman NA NA NA NA Palestinian Territories 1.04
Palestine 45.96 53.69 20 46.52 Qatar 3.05
Qatar NA NA NA 71.85 Saudi Arabia 1.5
Saudi Arabia 55.64 94.78 36.66 55.93 Sudan NA
Somalia NA NA NA NA Syria NA
Sudan NA NA NA 47.2 Tunisia 1.36
Syria NA NA NA NA UAE 3.24
Tunisia 49.28 40.13 49.28 48.29 Yemen 0.38
UAE NA NA NA NA
Yemen 22.07 13.26 6.25 20.75 Weighted Averages
Comparator Countries Arab States 0.95
China NA NA 22.1 NA Developing Countries 0.87
India NA NA NA NA World 1.03
Israel 58.12 54.88 51.11 57.3
Republic of Korea 35.1 35.57 23.83 35.18 Countries highlighted in yellow have higher
proportions of men enrolled than women.
Source: UNESCO, Arab Human Development Report | 18

19. 80% of the Arab World’s higher education institutions were established in the last 30 years
and there is a trend towards more private institutions
Universities in the Arab World by Date of Establishment and Control (2003)
Before 1950 1973 1993 2003
Country Government Private Total Government Private Total Government Private Total Government Private Total
Egypt 3 2 5 7 1 8 12 1 13 13 6 19
Iraq 0 0 0 5 0 5 12 0 12 14 0 14
Jordan 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 8 13 8 10 18
Palestine 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 7 8 2 9 11
Lebanon 0 2 2 1 4 5 1 8 9 1 18 19
Syria 1 0 1 3 0 3 4 0 4 5 0 5
Bahrain 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 2
Kuwait 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 2 3
Oman 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 2
Qatar 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1
S. Arabia 0 0 0 4 0 4 7 0 7 8 0 8
UAE 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 5 7
Algeria 1 0 1 3 0 3 13 0 13 26 0 26
Libya 0 0 0 2 0 2 11 0 11 14 0 14
Morocco 1 0 1 3 0 3 13 0 13 13 1 14
Tunisia 1 0 1 2 0 2 6 0 6 8 4 22
Sudan 0 0 0 2 0 2 16 0 16 27 1 28
Yemen 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 0 4 7 8 15
Djibouti 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Mauritania 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Somalia 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 2 3
Total 7 4 11 37 9 45 114 24 138 156 67 233
Key Takeaways
• Of the total 233 listed universities, 188 were established during the last 30 years extending from 1973 to 2003,
• Of the 93 universities which opened since 1993, 51 were private, which is twice the number of all the private universities which existed in 1993.
• The emerging trend in the Arab World towards private institutions was noticeable in the Nineties. Many of the private, non-governmental institutions have been
established in partnership with American or European institutions, and most are profit-driven and therefore, accessible only to those who can afford them.
• Leaders by % of total tertiary students enrolled in private institutions are: Lebanon (50%), Oman, (28%), Kuwait (27%), Jordan (20%), Yemen (15%), Morocco (5%)
Source: Guide of Arab Universities’ Association

20. The establishment of new, private universities in the region continues to increase
Relative shares of public and private expenditure on tertiary
educational institutions, 2004
Key Takeaways
• The Arab countries, as well as most countries around the
world, are unable to provide information on private spending
for education at any level.
• Private funding accounts for 24% of total education
spending in OECD countries.
• There is an increasing reliance on the private sector globally
as shown in the graph to the right.
New, private universities in the region continue to increase and fall into 4 categories:
Institutions of higher education Branches of Western institutions Institutions with international Local institutions
links
 US-accredited, non-profits Elite profit oriented institutions Local institutions with an Consists of public universities
offering a full range of programs international advisory connection that teach both in English and
Best Western-style education
Arabic
Lag behind for several reasons: Such institutions face the Quality depends on extent of
absence of faculty co-governance, challenge of integrating local commitment to quality and the These institutions are seeking
local regulations on hiring locally, a culture and laws without losing depth of the affiliation with outside affiliations with international
workload that hampers faculty academic integrity counterpart partner institution
research and course preparation
Examples: American University in Examples: Universities in Dubai Examples: American University of Examples: AL-Zaytoonah
Beirut, the Lebanese American Knowledge Village and Qatar’s Kuwait, Gulf University of Science University in Jordan, Dar Al-Hekma
University, American University in Education City; Cornell, Carnegie and Technology in Kuwait, al- College for Women in Saudi Arabia,
Cairo, American University of Mellon, Sorbonne, Georgetown, Akhawayn in Morocco, the Arab Al-Akhawayn in Morocco
Sharjah Texas A&M and Virginia American University in the
Source: UNESCO, Staff Analysis Commonwealth Palestinian territories
| 20