Education

Kuwait and the wider Gulf have some of the youngest populations in the world, with one-third of the GCC’s population expected to be under the age of 25 by 2030. As such, ensuring that Kuwaiti youth are equipped with the skills to compete in the global marketplace has become one of the government’s main priorities. This is laid out in New Kuwait 2035, a bold government development plan prioritising education reform and investment, among other policy pillars. The downturn in global oil prices, following the commodity’s high of $111.48 per barrel in June 2014, prompted GCC governments to cut or freeze spending, intensifying pressure for private sector involvement in sectors dominated by public actors. Recognising this, the Kuwaiti government has taken concerted steps to facilitate private investment in schooling, developing build-operate-transfer agreements, public-private partnerships and technical cooperation programmes aimed at improving school curricula, teaching and management.