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Amthal Hamad Al.Oraifan, Independent Scholar, KuwaitAbstract
Throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), member states are actively transitioning away from hydrocarbon dependency toward knowledge-based economies (Karoly, 2010; Wiseman et al., 2014). This macroeconomic shift mandates a comprehensive update to national education policies. While legacy educational paradigms focused primarily on rote learning, credential acquisition, and public sector absorption, contemporary policy frameworks emphasize critical thinking, STEM competencies, digital literacy, and TVET expansion to meet the demands of a modern global workforce (UNESCO, 2023; World Bank, 2020). This study investigates the aligned strategic objectives of recent education policy initiatives across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, examining how these policies aim to bridge the persistent gap between classroom learning and private-sector labor requirements. Utilizing a qualitative document analysis (QDA) methodology, the research evaluates official policy directives, ministerial announcements, and national vision summaries published between 2016 and 2023. The comparative analysis reveals that GCC educational policies are increasingly output-oriented. Major pillars include the strategic rebranding of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the institutionalization of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in curriculum design, and the explicit prioritisation of soft skills alongside technical metrics. The primary structural challenge identified is the implementation bottleneck caused by uneven district-level resource allocation and teacher capacity constraints. The study concludes that GCC education policies are shifting toward a market-ready model, emphasizing that sustained teacher development and localized curriculum adaptation are vital prerequisites for long-term economic resilience.
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Conference: ECAH2026Stream: Humanities - Other Humanities
Published: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
This paper is part of the ECAH2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Al.Oraifan A. (2026) Transitioning to Knowledge-Based Economies: A Comparative Analysis of Education Policy Reforms in the GCC ISSN: 2188-1111 – The European Conference on Arts & Humanities 2026: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 341-348) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1111.2026.26
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1111.2026.26
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