DOHA: Kuwait is the favourite destination for GCC students seeking education in other Gulf countries, shows a report released by the GCC General Secretariat.
As per the 2013 data, Qatar ranks fourth in the list after Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia, respectively. However, Qatar has the distinction of having the lowest number of its citizens pursuing education in other GCC states compared to other member states.
There are 2,986 students from other GCC countries enrolled in schools and universities in Qatar, who are part of the total 42,462 GCC students studying in other member countries, local Arabic daily Al Rayah reported yesterday, citing a report released by the information section of the GCC general secretariat.
Kuwait has the highest number of students from other GCC countries — 15,897 — followed by the UAE (12,780), Saudi Arabia (9,265), Qatar (2986), Bahrain (871) and Oman (663). Of the total of 42,462 GCC students, 20,704 are females. Although Kuwait has the highest number of students, the figures vary in the different levels such as primary, middle school, secondary and higher education. Saudi Arabia tops the list in the case of secondary schools, while Bahrain came first in university education.
Primary schools in the GCC have a total of 17,756 students from other Gulf states.
Of them, 6,881 study in Kuwait, followed by the UAE (5,450), Saudi Arabia (3,246), Qatar (1,529), Bahrain (466) and Oman (384).
Middle level schools have 12,755 GCC students — 5,756 in Kuwait, 4,223 in the UAE, 1,740 in Saudi Arabia, 691 in Qatar, 191 in Bahrain and 154 in Oman.
In secondary schools, Saudi Arabia has the highest number of students from other GCC countries (4,279), followed by Kuwait (3,260), the UAE (3,107), Qatar (766), Bahrain (214) and Oman (125).
In higher education, Bahrain tops the list with 2,544 students, followed by Kuwait (1,773), Saudi Arabia (1,459), Qatar (658) the UAE (426) and Oman 25.
The number of Qatari students pursuing education in other GCC states is the lowest, compared to other member states, amounting to only two per cent of the total.
Saudi Arabia has the largest share (44 percent), followed by Oman (28) and Kuwait (17), Bahrain (5), the UAE (3), and Qatar (2).
As part of a policy decision in 1985, all GCC states treat students from other member states equal to their students and certificates issued by schools, colleges and universities run by the government enjoy equal status, said the daily. The Peninsula
