A league of their own: MENA's education focus

Education projects worth more than USD 33 billion are underway across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, according to Zawya Projects Monitor.
Regional governments are pouring billions to raise educational standards, in a bid to improve labor skills and match job requirements to the education and training of their citizens. Middle East youth jobless rates was 26.40%, more than double the global average of 12.70% in 2012, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) data. North African countries fared far worse, with youth joblessness standing at 27.50%.
Meanwhile, overall unemployment rates in MENA is forecast to remain in double-digits till 2017, close to double the global average, ILO data shows. The largest education project in the region is in Iraq where the Kurdistan Regional Government is planning 2,000 schools in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok and Garmian at a cost of USD 4 billion. Prequalification process for the first phase of 500 schools is underway, and the project is expected to be completed over the next decade. Read more...