The Middle East Education

The rapid expansion of health care facilities in Oman is one of the most visible results of the modernisation programme enacted by Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said on his accession to power over four decades ago. In 1970 just two 12-bed hospitals and 10 clinics served the needs of a population with a life expectancy of only 49 years. Massive...

A rapidly rising student population has resulted in growing pressure on educational infrastructure. One response to this challenge seen in other jurisdictions is an increase in the provision of e-learning, a diverse sub-sector that encompasses activities including web-based training and teaching systems, learning management software, discussion...

The creation of a public education system capable of equipping Omanis for a modern economy has been at the centre of government policy for decades. Meanwhile, the private sector that has thrived in Oman since the 1970s has, in recent years, seen a similar expansion of investment at tertiary level that, combined with an increasing amount of...

The rapidly rising level of research activity in the Omani education sector brings a number of challenges, one of the most salient being how best to monitor the increasing array of research programmes being introduced by the sultanate’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). An oversight capability of this nature is key to developing a cogent...

As the Ministry of Health (MOH) establishes its long-term development strategy for the sector, the question of alternative funding sources has risen to the fore – and a recent health care summit in Muscat provided a useful forum for discussion on the subject.