Hamad Al Sheikh, Former Minister of Education: Interview

Interview: Hamad Al Sheikh

Where do you identify key challenges and opportunities in the development of education?

HAMAD AL SHEIKH: The key challenge for any education system is to ensure that all children are learning and can reach their full potential. Education systems need to foster a love for learning at an early age. The Covid-19 pandemic was a formidable challenge that threatened to dismantle much of the progress made in learning; however, it also presented opportunities for building a more resilient and responsive education system.

Supported by Vision 2030, the Ministry of Education (MoE) is taking advantage of these opportunities and is leveraging key investments in school and technological infrastructure to enhance its service delivery capabilities. This includes improving student readiness for learning by expanding access to quality early childhood education. To achieve its target of 90% enrolment by 2030, the MoE is harnessing public-private partnerships for enhanced efficiency in school expansions, particularly in remote areas.

During the pandemic the MoE bolstered its e-learning platforms, which made it possible to access learning content through multiple mediums and integrate e-learning as a mode of delivery for high-quality education in the Kingdom. The government also established 71 new applied colleges and universities, increasing enrolment in higher education online academic programmes that are in high demand. Additionally, Saudi Arabia introduced the Educational Visa Initiative, which aims to internationalise technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Kingdom.

What steps can be taken to foster a culture of entrepreneurship among university graduates?

AL SHEIKH: Public schools and higher education, as well as TVET institutions, play a significant role in developing a culture of entrepreneurship. The Kingdom plans to accomplish its goal of diversifying the economy with the help of entrepreneurship. To that end, the MoE is working across multiple fronts to foster a culture of entrepreneurship among students.

The MoE is developing student foundational knowledge on entrepreneurship by introducing financial literacy in the K–12 curricula, developing new learning content and including a business administration pathway for secondary students. The MoE is also supporting young entrepreneurs through incubators and entrepreneurship centres. In addition, the ministry is promoting the development and application of ideas through programmes such as the Entrepreneurial Professor Initiative and the Entrepreneurial University Initiative. These efforts resulted in a sharp increase in the ranking of Saudi Arabia in the University Entrepreneurial indicators, from 42 in 2020 to 23 in 2021.

To enrich the culture of digital innovation, the MoE is collaborating with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on initiatives that aim to motivate researchers and patent holders to develop entrepreneurship capabilities. These include the Digital Innovation Award and the Future Technologies Ambassadors. In addition, 104 institutes and centres related to innovation have been opened in different regions.

How do you view the prospects for Saudi Arabia to become a global leader in education?

AL SHEIKH: Saudi Arabia continues to promote its position as a destination for learning Arabic and Islamic studies. Beyond these ambitions, the ministry is investing in the expansion of education in high-demand fields of the future including artificial intelligence, IT and renewable energy. Meanwhile, the MoE is supporting research excellence grants at universities and launching educational visas to facilitate the entry of international students, researchers and visiting scholars. As long as the ministry continues to deliver on the promise of quality education for all – and does so effectively and efficiently – then Saudi Arabia will be well positioned to be regarded as a global leader within the field.