Overview
Education outcomes in the GCC present a paradox: Gulf states spend generously on education as a share of GDP, yet international assessments such as PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS consistently show student achievement below what spending levels would predict. The quality challenge – ensuring that education systems produce graduates with the skills needed for knowledge-economy employment – is arguably the most important long-term issue facing every Gulf nation.
Oman’s Position
Oman has made extraordinary progress in educational access since 1970, when there were only three formal schools in the entire country. Today, the education system is universal, with near-complete enrolment at primary and secondary levels and a substantial higher education sector. However, quality metrics reveal challenges: TIMSS scores in mathematics and science, while improving, remain below international averages. The mismatch between graduate skills and private-sector employer needs is a persistent concern. Many Omani graduates prefer government employment, reflecting both cultural preferences and skills gaps.
Regional Comparison
The UAE leads on education quality metrics in the GCC, benefiting from a large international school sector, branch campuses of leading global universities, and aggressive education reform programmes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in scholarships abroad and in KAUST for research excellence. Qatar’s Education City hosts world-class university branches. Bahrain’s compact system allows focused reform. All GCC states share the challenge of translating educational investment into labour market outcomes, but Oman and Kuwait face the most acute quality gaps relative to their economic ambitions.
Trajectory
Oman’s Education 2040 strategy targets fundamental quality improvement through curriculum reform emphasising critical thinking and STEM skills, teacher training and professional development, bilingual education strengthening, technical and vocational education expansion, and university-industry partnerships. Early childhood education investment is being prioritised. The shift from rote learning to competency-based education is essential but will take a generation to fully bear fruit. Success will be measured not by enrolment rates, which are already high, but by learning outcomes, employability, and innovation capacity.