2

Key Facts

Area: 27.163.977 sq km

Population: 27,136,977 million (2010)

Capital: Riyadh

Main cities:

Riyadh (The capital)Makkah (The most sacred place to Muslims, and their praying direction)Al Madinah (Second most sacred place)Jeddah (Saudi capital of business, an important port, and a major gateway to pilgrims) .Dammam (Capital of Eastern region, well-off oil, and an important port)Dhahran (A military city, the location of Saudi Aramco`s headquarters which the larg est oil company in the world .ArAr (Capital of Northern region)

The GeographySaudi Arabia is located in the South-west of Asia. Bounded by the Red sea from the west, Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait from the North, Arabian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar and United Emirates from the East. Also Yemen and Oman from the South.

4

The perfect investment opportunity

• Saudi Arabia is ranked 4th in the world for “fiscal freedom” and it’s the 10th most rewarding tax system in the world• One of the world’s 25 largest economies (23rd ) and the largest economy in the MENA region• One of the world’s fastest growing countries: per capita income is forecasted to rise from $20,700 in 2007 to $33,500 by 2020• It’s the world’s fastest reforming business climate• It’s the largest free market in the MENA• Represents 25% of total Arab GDP• It has 25% of worlds oil reserves• Saudi Arabia is 13th out of 183 countries for the overall ease of doing business globally. 10th in terms of ease of paying taxes• 1st for ease of registering property and it’s the largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment in the Arab world Saudi Arabia offers a dynamic and robust economy, perfect for serv-ing the world’s most demanding markets!

Dynamism and growth: The performances of both Saudi Arabia and MENA’s economies have ex-ceeded world growth. Meanwhile, Saudi’s non-oil sector has delivered ac-celerating growth rates as the economy diversifies. Encouraged by robust GDP growth and macroeconomic stability, consumer confidence is well above the regional average. Growing private credit and increased public expenditures on infrastructure and other projects provide a broad basis for robust opportunities across the Middle East but in Saudi Arabia these are

translating into particularly strong and sustained growth in domestic de-mand KSA itself has never been more committed to supporting economicgrowth. Robust growth in government revenues is supporting double-digit increases in government expenditures on social, infrastructure, and other investment projects. Perhaps even more crucial in the long term, an increasingly deregulated and competitive economic environment is sup-porting an explosion of business formation as the private sector takes an increasingly prominent role in the economy.

Foreign investment The variety of domestic and export-oriented investment opportunities in Saudi has attracted steadily increasing foreign direct investment as the economy has been progressively opened. Saudi Arabia’s rapid improve-ments have made the country an increasingly attractive destination for investment. The World Investment Report 2009 measured Saudi Arabia’s FDI inflows to be the 14th largest in the world and the highest amount in the MENA region. The country’s growth in FDI inflows was especially impressive in light of the global economic downturn, which caused inter-national investment levels to drop significantly in the second half of 2008.

Economic stability Sound macroeconomic management and an inflection point in world en-ergy markets have made the KSA’s economy stable, despite the global financial crisis. Saudi Arabia’s economy ranks 3rd in the world for macro-economic stability as a result of “a healthy fiscal environment, relatively low interest rates and inflation that has been kept under control”

6

The International Monetary Fund’s 2008 World Economic Outlook notes that “regional growth remains strong” as “global financial market turmoil has had little direct effect on the Middle East.” While much of the world economy has recently been affected by a global liquidity squeeze, Saudi Arabia’s twin surpluses in the government budget and current account have made KSA an attractive, high-liquidity environment for local and foreign ventures.

Market size As the region’s largest economy and the world’s 24th largest exporter, the sheer size of the markets that Saudi-based projects serve is “a com-petitive advantage, allowing Saudi businesses to benefit from economies of scale.” With excellent access to Saudi and other MENA markets, as well as the advanced and emerging economies of nearby Europe and Asia, market exposure for Saudi-based projects is not only vast but also highly diversified.

Cluster development Investors in Saudi Arabia enjoy increasingly well-developed business clus-ters and value chains that set the nation apart from its neighbours and from other emerging economies. The World Economic Forum ranks the Kingdom 39th in the world for Local Supplier Quantity and 35th for both Value Chain Breadth and Production Process Sophistication. Well estab-lished, competitive and efficient, Saudi Arabia’s domestic industries—from energy and chemicals to transportation—provide industrial projects with exceptional opportunities for cost savings.

Education in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

With a young, expanding population and a blossoming knowledge-based industry, Saudi Arabia’s education sector is facing a new, exciting era. Already the world’s 8th highest education spender, Saudi Arabia has re-cently initiated a complete overhaul of its educational system at a cost of US$3.1 billion. Increasingly prosperous families in traditionally under-served parts of the country have very strong demands for high-quality education. Meanwhile, for foreign investors, the new Economic Cities cre-ate a unique opportunity for private-sector involvement.

A potential to develop home-grown talent Today, over 90% of Saudi students are educated in public schools, with only the wealthiest Saudi and expatriate children attending some 840 private schools. There is clearly substantial room for the private sector to participate more fully at the primary and secondary levels of Saudi Ara-bia’s education system.

While tertiary education enjoys greater private participation, this clearly remains an underserved market. Many students must pursue scholarships overseas to gain the highest-quality higher education; some 80% of engi-neers, doctors and scientists are foreigners. In the past, foreign organizations have not been permitted to directly educate Saudi students. Now, for the first time, the Economic Cities are allowing students to benefit from outside skills and knowledge. In addi-tion to traditional educational institutions, there is a clear need for a full range of educational and training services, including vocational programs, e-learning, content development, seminars, etc.

8

Some good reasons to invest ….

• Significant unmet demands exist at every level of the Saudi educational system• Demographically, Saudi Arabia’s population is extremely young and growing rapidly, with millions of school-age children• Fast-rising personal wealth is bringing world-class education within reach of many Saudi families• The Economic Cities are being constructed as part of an ambitious public investment campaign to bring knowledge- intensive industries to KSA, providing foreign organizations with an opportunity to enter the market

Education - the foundation of future socio-economicdevelopment in KSA The Kingdom is an attractive market for education services, as it repre-sents the largest education base, the largest market for education services in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, and accounts for 75 percent of total students in the GCC general education (K-12) system.

For the past several years, strong government budgets have accompanied the development of general education to emphasize governmental sup-port for continued growth of the education sector. The upward trend of budgetary allocations highlights the Saudi Government’s conviction that education is the cornerstone of sustained economic development, as it enhances human capital and knowledge, both essential ingredients for economic growth and social cohesion. Public spending for education is estimated at 5.7 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), comparable with the UK (5.3 percent), Germany (4.3 percent), and South Korea (4.2 percent).

The Education Policy Document, which was issued by the Saudi Council of Ministers in 1969, is the foundation for the Saudi educational system. There are several organizations that are working together to oversee, regulate, and create and enforce laws pertaining to the education system in Saudi Arabia.

These agencies include the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, formerly the General Organization for Technological and Vocational Training. The education system in Saudi Arabia can be divided into two broad catego-ries – general education and higher education – with all public and private schools following the same general policies, curricula, and methods of instruction. General education includes 12 years of schooling, beginning with elementary school at age six, while higher education constitutes the training received at one of the various universities, colleges or vocational training institutions. Over 90 percent of Saudi students are enrolled in public schools.

The Saudi Government has made a tremendous effort to enhance the country’s educational system over the past decade by introducing new education programs, research and development initiatives, and building numerous schools and universities. A number of education projects coin-cide with the development of the six economic cities that are being built across the country.The private sector has become intensely involved in the development of knowledge-based industries in the Kingdom through participation in sev-eral initiatives, such as King Abdullah University of Science and Technol-ogy (KAUST), the education section of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), and institutions in Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musaed Economic City (PABMEC) and Knowledge Economic City (KEC).

10

About IEFE 2013

“The Saudi Arabia government’s policy is focused on infrastructure and social programs. The 2012 budget allocates $45 billion to the education sector, including 742 new schools and 40 new colleges”.

The International Exhibition and Forum for Education 2013 (IEFE 2013) is the 3rd in our series of events focused on providing substantial oppor-tunities for international businesses in the education sector to create part-nerships and connect with decision makers from Saudi Arabian and GCC government bodies overseeing education developments and also senior representatives from Universities, Colleges, Training Institutions, second-ary education institutions and public and private schools in the region but particularly from Saudi Arabia.It is the official annual event of the Saudi Ministry of Education. It is also the biggest and most well attended educational exhibition and confer-ence in the Gulf Region with over 40,000 visitors turning up at the 2012 event!As with the previous editions, IEFE 2013 will attract senior level decision makers, key industry education providers and stakeholders from around the world for a great, inspiring networking and learning experience. Glob-ally recognised education, government and business leaders will deliver inspiring keynote presentations while there will be one to one meeting opportunities to foster cooperation, potential collaboration and possible commercial agreements in a formal setting. This is an excellent platform for generating alliances.IEFE 2013 is characterized by the provision on a unique opportunity for education industry participants, both in the private and public sector to portray key achievements in fast moving sector, discuss strategic plans to

enable the provision of an ideal learning environment for producing We will also showcase the latest technology and knowledge solutions from international and local suppliers of education equipment and infrastruc-ture aimed at achieving excellence and innovation in public and private education in the region.quality students well equipped for the modern day work force and discuss latest tools and methods for ensuring teachers perform to their maximum

potential.

Why IEFE 2013?

As with the previous editions, IEFE 2013 will attract senior level de-cision makers, key industry education providers and stakeholders from around the world for a great, inspiring networking and learning experi-ence. Globally recognised education, government and business leaders will deliver inspiring keynote presentations while there will be one to one meeting opportunities to foster cooperation, potential collaboration and possible commercial agreements in a formal setting. This is an excellent platform for generating alliances.

IEFE 2013 is characterized by the provision of a unique opportunity for education industry participants, both in the private and public sector to portray key achievements in this burgeoning industry to discuss strategic plans which enable the provision of an ideal learning environment for producing quality students well equipped for the modern day work force. Education evaluation techniques, latest tools and methods for ensuring teachers perform to their maximum potential will also be a key theme at IEFE 2013.

12

Who will be there?

Attendees at IEFE 2013 will primarily be senior decision makers from• Saudi Arabian and GCC Governments Ministries• Universities, Colleges and Public and Private Schools• Senior Representatives from International Educational Institutions• Investors• Educational Agents• Technology Providers• Research & Developments Agencies• Corporations Affiliated to Education Sector• Training Organisations• Key Service Providers

Meet the KSA Ministry of Education and its Partners - NOOR (IEFE PARTNERZONE)

NOOR in Arabic means light, which for our purpose symbolizes the ben-efits of good education for the development of a nation. To further our aim to help exhibitors to get full information about MoE projects, invest-ments opportunities in the Saudi Arabia education market and them to understand the environment in the country, there will be a pre event opportunity to meet senior executives from the MoE and delegates from SAGIA (Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority) in a formal setting.

Key Benefits:

• Exclusive access to key plans and development strategy of the MoE in Saudi Arabia• Obtain the keys to unlocking what potential partnerships in the region means for your organization• Become a member of the exclusive IEFE members club with access to first hand information on investment opportunities to the Saudi education market• Optimize your strategy to take full advantage of this burgeoning industry to positively input your bottom line

Exhibitor Categories at IEFE 2013 will be as follows:

• IT Solutions aimed at Educational Market• Hardware Providers• Building Equipment, Construction & Design for Education• Providers of Training Solutions & Universities / Educational Institutions• Education Quality Assurance Systems• Curriculum Providers• Pre School Equipment Suppliers• Special Needs Education Equipment Suppliers• Education Solutions For The Especially Talented• Educational Broadcast Media• Sports Equipment & Infrastructure to Aid Educational Performance

14

IEFE 2013 Theme and Issues to be addressed

The main theme of IEFE 2013 as established by the Saudi Ministry of Education will be Educational Evaluation Approach & Techniques. This is in line with the key objective of improving and implementing cutting edge evaluation techniques for the performance of schools and higher learning institutions in the country and the GCC region.

The focus will be on achieving promoting Excellence, Quality, Perfor-mance Improvement, Deploying Innovative Solutions, New Invest-ment and International Partnerships to achieve the desired objective.

• Evaluating Educational Infrastructure

• Evaluating and Improving Learning Materials

• Teaching by Social Media

• Education via Smart Devices

• Adopting Tried and Tested International Techniques

• International Partnership and Investment

• Learning from Countries that have Achieved Educational Excellence – Finland will be a Focal Point and Case Study for IEFE 2013

• Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment and 21st Century Learning

The Forum at IEFE

The IEFE Forum has in the past attracted senior specialized speakers in the field of education development. Several workshops have been conducted and this massive event has been covered in local and international news-papers, satellite TV channels, websites and social media tools.

Carefully selected attendees from the more than 40,000 visitors to IEFE 2012 (Educational leaders, supervisors, and school principals from dif-ferent regions and educational provinces) joined the main sessions and workshops.

42 Scheduled hours of various topics, were presented by prominent inter-national and local speakers

34 Speakers conducted over three days, 13 main sessions, 3 discussion sessions and 30 workshops that addressed important topics of the Insti-tutional Models of Developing Public Education (international and local) experiences; Designing Educational Environments in the 21st Century; Im-proving Educational Practices, and Build the School Knowledge Society.

Topics to be addressed at IEFE 2013 Forum by our Experienced Interna-tional Speaker Panel Include:

• EvaluatingforLearning

• EvaluatingCurriculumandCollateralMaterials

• EvaluationfortheAdoptionofEducationalEstablishments

• EvaluatingEducationalPrograms

16

• EvaluatingfortheDevelopmentofPerformance

• VirtualProfessionalLearningCommunitiesandPerformance Improvement

• LearningthroughSocialNetworking

• TheuseofTechnologyinEvaluationProcesses

• LearningandEvaluatingUsingSmartPhones

• GlobalmodelsandSuccessfulExperiences

• EnsuringHighStandards&AccountabilityinEducation

• StudentAssessmentin21stCenturyEducation

• CreativityandIntelligence,SchoolReform,andTalent Development in 21st Century Education

• KeyStrategiesfortheDevelopmentandAnalysisofBenchmarks on the Performance of Education

• DevelopingStandardsforMonitoringandEvaluationEducation Institutions

• NewPedagogiesforSupportingtheProfessionalLearningof Prospective and Experienced Mathematics Teachers

• StaffSupervisionandEvaluationinEducation

• MonitoringandEvaluationEducationInstitutions

• EducationManagementInformationSystems

• EducationalEvaluationandPolicyAnalysis

• DevelopmentandAnalysisofBenchmarksonthePerformanceof Education Systems

• DesigningandImplementingReformStrategiestoraiseStudent Outcomes

• HowtheWorld’smostImprovedSchoolSystemsKeepGetting Better

• ChangeLeadership:APracticalGuidetoTransformingOurSchools

In Summary …

Of all the elements of educational planning, evaluation is probably the most misunderstood and maligned. Evaluation can be described as mak-ing informed judgements on the overall value of the educational pro-gramme – and whether or not it sets out to do what it set out to do. Evaluation is a logical straightforward process that is an integral part of all commonly accepted models for educational programme development. IEFE will examine the process of evaluation and its importance in the field of education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the GCC region.

IEFE 2013 aims at giving the participants the knowledge and skills related to the process of education assessment and evaluation methods which will measure accurately the outcome of the education process and moti-vate the student and teachers to do better and compete for excellence.

18

It also endeavours to achieve a number of objectives including:

• Contributing to the development and improvement of education

• Identifying the most significant international experiences in developing school-based education and evaluations

• The professional development of the targeted groups of education employees

• Identifying the role of technology in the development of the teaching and learning processes • Keeping abreast with modern international trends in designing learning environments

• Bringing together global education market suppliers to explore business opportunities in this burgeoning sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region

IEFE showcases the latest products, technologies and useful resources in the education sector, and is is an innovative event concept which com-bines hands-on workshops, seminars and lectures from regional and glob-al experts for educational professionals. The next in the series is scheduled to run next year from 18-22 February 2013 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.