The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) signed Thursday land allocation contracts for the construction and operation of four private schools with national companies that won tenders previously launched and evaluated by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE).
The agreements were signed in the presence of Her Excellency the Minister of Education and Higher Education Lolwah bint Rashid AlKhater, His Excellency the Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal al-Thani, His Excellency the President of Ashghal Eng. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Meer, and representatives of the development companies along with members of the committee overseeing the project to allocate land for the construction and operation of private schools and a lineup of officials and school principals.
The assistant undersecretary for Private Education Affairs in MoEHE, Omar Abdulaziz al-Nuaimi, signed the agreements on behalf of the State.
Signing on behalf of the four schools are Brail Muidu Siddiq, representing the Indian Islamic School in Al Wukair, which follows the Indian curriculum; Dr Hamad Mubarak al-Kaabi, representing Cardiff International School in Al Wukair, which follows the Egyptian curriculum; Mohammed Nizar, representing Pearl Podar School in Al Mansoura, which follows the Indian curriculum; and Saleh Abdullah al-Sulaiti, representing Al Zaytoun International School in Al Sailiya, which also follows the Indian curriculum.
All four schools will be co-educational, offer education across all grade levels, and provide affordable tuition fees.
The agreements form part of Qatar's efforts to strengthen public-private partnerships, expand the private sector's contribution to national development, and encourage its active participation in implementing priority development projects.
The four planned schools are expected to provide a total of 5,000 student places.
This will support the measured expansion of private education, increase the sector's capacity to accommodate rising demand for educational services, broaden the range of schooling options available to students and parents, and reinforce private education's role as a strategic partner in achieving the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.
Al-Nuaimi said that the initiative represents a valuable addition to Qatar's education system and will create more diverse educational opportunities to meet the needs of students and parents.
He noted that the locations of the new schools were selected following a study that took population density and the geographical distribution of communities across the country into account.
The official added that the ministry would continue working to attract investors by fostering an attractive and supportive investment environment for private education.
He also highlighted the continued growth of private education in Qatar.
The sector currently comprises 354 private schools and kindergartens, with 25 different curricula in use.
It serves more than 271,090 students and employs 25,372 people from diverse nationalities and professional backgrounds.
Addressing incentives for investment in private education, al-Nuaimi said the government provides a broad range of benefits and facilities.
These include customs exemptions, exemptions from electricity and water charges, the allocation of land and school buildings, the provision of textbooks, and educational vouchers for Qatari students, alongside other measures designed to encourage investment and support the sector's sustainability.
He said these incentives would help improve the quality of educational services while reducing the financial burden on parents.
The assistant undersecretary for Industry and Business Development at the MoCI, Saleh Majed al-Khulaifi, described the signing as an important step towards strengthening public-private partnerships and expanding private sector participation in development projects, in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.
He said that the private sector's total expected capital and operating expenditure over the project's 25-year term would amount to approximately QR1.48bn.
He added that the project would attract private investment into education through the establishment and operation of four affordable private schools catering to growing demand for different curricula.
The MoCI, he said, would continue co-ordinating with relevant authorities to support initiatives that create new investment opportunities for the private sector and contribute to sustainable economic development.
The head of the Committee for Studying and Monitoring Public-Private Partnership Projects at Ashghal, Eng. Mohammed Masoud al-Marri, underscored the importance of partnership projects in strengthening integration between the public and private sectors and supporting sustainable development.
He said the signing reflected co-operation between government entities and private companies to develop educational infrastructure and improve project delivery in accordance with international best practices.
Dr Rania Yousri Mohammed, the national lead for the Public-Private Partnership and Investment Attraction Project in Private Education, said that such partnerships help strengthen co-operation between government entities and private schools and kindergartens, support the development of private education, and enhance its contribution to national development.
