ABU DHABI, UAE, November 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Additional 6,200 schools needed to fill growing student population that will reach 11.3 million in private and public schools in 2020

The private education sector in the GCC is poised for a massive surge, according to experts and analysts who gathered at the recently concluded Building Future Education MENA 2011.

Presentations made by Booz and Company as well as The Parthenon Group both point to a massive surge in the private education sector from close to $5 billion in 2012 to as much as $12 billion in 2020.

The investment is needed to accommodate a projected growth in student population in the private sector to 2.6 million in 2020, or as much as 11.3 million in both private and public schools in ten years from now.

According to Sammon Group, a leader in social infrastructure and educational construction projects, 6,200 additional schools need to be built to accommodate the surge in student population across the GCC.

In addition to the investment opportunities in the private education sector in the GCC, visitors to this year's BFE MENA also witnessed presentations from leading builders on the latest design trends and innovations in school building.

Educational experts likewise gave their inputs on how quality of education can be raised in the region, through constant curriculum development and school improvement.

An emphasis on learning resounded strongly throughout the conference programmes, with experts from The World Bank and International Finance Corporation admonishing educators to revamp curriculum content in a way that will enable students to acquire learning and valuable skills for employment.

In addition to the conference programme, Building Future Education MENA 2011 also hosted a "Design My Learning Space Live!" competition for students, in cooperation with Sammon Group and Broadway Maylan Architects. This year's winners were Al Khatem and Al Yasmina schools.

Another highlight of this year's conference included the Public Awareness Programmes, in which workshops and sessions on health, safety, environmental awareness and renewable energy were conducted by the The Traffic & Patrol Directorate, Abu Dhabi Police; The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi; Zayed Higher Organisation For Humanitarian Care; Health Authority of Abu Dhabi; and Masdar, the Future Energy Partner of BFE MENA.

"The turn out to this year's Building Future Education MENA exhibition and conference has exceeded our expectations; and goes to show the high level of importance accorded education in the region. While the challenges to developing the education sector are immense, they are not insurmountable," said Andrew Pert, Regional Director, UBM Middle East, organisers of Building Future Education MENA, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council.

Pert continued, "With the collaboration of various stakeholders coming together and discussing solutions and possible courses of action at Building Future Education MENA, we are confident great strides are being made to ensure today's generation of students, as well as those in the future will receive quality education, enabling them to live productive lives.  We are privileged at Building Future Education MENA to be part of the community which is modernising education to create tomorrow's workforce for the benefit of all."

About Building Future Education MENA

Building Future Education (BFE) MENA in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) is a free-to-attend international exhibition and conference covering educational spaces, management, reform, investment and operation of all educational institutions and programmes in the MENA region; and covers all tiers of education.

BFE MENA attracts strong representation from the MENA region's education ministries and councils including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Jordon and Lebanon, is organised by UBM Middle East.

For more information about UBM Middle East, please contact:

Bryan Espie, Marketing Director, UBM Middle East, bryan.espie@ubm.com or +971-2-406-4471.

SOURCE UBM Middle East