More than 11 million students, male and female, in Gulf public education in 2024-2025

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The Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, stated that more than 11 million students, both male and female, are in the general education levels in the GCC countries, representing about 17.4% of the total population of the GCC countries, while more than 45,000 schools and educational institutions embrace students in the various stages of general education, and more than 960,000 male and female teachers supervise their education and develop their knowledge, skills and abilities, during the academic year 2024-2025.

This came during his speech at the 46th Educational Conference, which was held under the title “Innovative Visions for a Sustainable Educational Future in Kuwait,” under the patronage of the Emir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and in the presence of the Minister of Education of the State of Kuwait, Engineer Sayed Al-Tabtabai, today, Sunday, October 4, 2026, in Kuwait City, and with the participation of a number of specialists, academics, and educators.

In the same context, Al-Budaiwi added that one of the most prominent evidences of the embodiment of the concept of “Gulf citizenship” and Gulf integration is the number of students from GCC citizens studying in public schools in other member states, as their number reached more than 41 thousand students during the academic year 2025-2026.

He explained that this represents a realistic translation of the implementation of the directives of the leaders of the GCC countries to facilitate education and open its doors to the people of the GCC countries in its various parts. As an extension of this process, joint Gulf action in the educational field continues to move to more ambitious and forward-looking horizons.

He pointed out that the Ministers of Education in the GCC countries approved the strategic plan for innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education, and approved the preparation of the strategic plan for joint work in the field of education for the years 2027-2032, which confirms the continued development of the system of educational cooperation and integration between the GCC countries, and keeping pace with development needs and future labor markets.

In addition, the Secretary-General stated that the idea of ​​establishing the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf emerged to achieve coordination, integration and interconnection between the Council states in all fields, leading to their unity, through strengthening ties and enhancing aspects of cooperation between their peoples in various fields, and establishing similar systems in various fields, the most prominent of which are the educational and cultural sectors.

He pointed out that the process of joint educational work preceded the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981, through the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, which was established in 1975 under the supervision of the Ministers of Education at that time, considering that this represents evidence that education is at the forefront of the priorities of the Council countries, as it is the nucleus of joint Gulf action and a weapon towards progress and development in various fields.

In parallel, Al-Budaiwi pointed out that education constitutes one of the most important pillars of building human capital, and an essential driver for comprehensive renaissance and achieving sustainable development goals, adding that the honorable indicators witnessed by the GCC countries in the field of public education reflect the amount of care, interest, and continued strategic investment in their rising generations.

At the conclusion of his speech, the Secretary-General stressed the importance of monitoring and following up on developments that the world is witnessing in several fields, including artificial intelligence, innovation, digital transformation, modern technologies, and space technology, stressing that these developments require those interested in education to look at education and curricula from different visions and angles, in a way that keeps pace with changes and ensures that male and female students are prepared to deal with modern technologies.

Al-Budaiwi expressed his aspiration that the conference’s work and discussions would contribute to the crystallization of recommendations and qualitative outcomes that would be translated into practical and tangible steps that would contribute to developing the education process in the GCC countries and reflect positively on the present and future of their sons and daughters.