Parents and guardians are increasingly prioritizing the best educational options for their children, recognizing education as a vital investment.
From early education (K-12) to higher education, the focus on preparing children with the necessary skills and qualifications for future job markets has become paramount.
Over the past two decades, private education has emerged as a major driver in meeting the growing aspirations of families in the MENA region. Particularly in the Gulf countries, where once many students sought higher education abroad, today there is a rise in international-standard universities within countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, providing globally recognized degrees and programs.
The private education sector is one of the most attractive business sectors for investors in the MENA region, driven by the growing demand for quality education and increasing population.
According to an HSBC report, the private education market in the Middle East is expected to reach $175 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% from 2022 levels.
Investment and Growth Projections Overview
In the Gulf region, it was common in the past to send children to private universities in Egypt or to institutions in the UK and the US to complete their studies. However, with the establishment of numerous universities in countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, offering internationally accredited programs, more options are now available for higher education within the region.
The private education sector is one of the most promising business sectors, attracting a significant amount of investor interest due to the essential nature of education, population growth, and the rising demand for educational services. here are some facts and figures overview. Keep Reading! Â
Education Sector Performance in Egypt
- Population Growth: Egypt’s rapid population growth, now exceeding 101 million people, presents a large opportunity, especially with a substantial student base.
- K-12 and Secondary Education: As of 2020, Egypt had 23 million K-12 students, with an additional 11 million seats needed by 2030 to accommodate future demand.
- Private School Enrollment: Private school enrollment is growing at a CAGR of 6.3%, compared to 3.6% in public schools.
- Government Reforms: Government initiatives are encouraging private sector participation, with plans to invest $2 billion in education by 2030, while easing foreign ownership restrictions.
- E-Learning Growth: The e-learning market for preschool, kindergarten, and secondary school is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27.2% between 2021 and 2026.
Education Sector Performance in Saudi Arabia
- New Investments: Companies like Global School Management and Safanad have targeted Saudi Arabia for new investments, focusing on school acquisitions and expansion.
- Market Potential: Similar to the UAE, Saudi Arabia’s private education sector is attracting international investors, with significant opportunities in K-12, secondary education, and digital learning.
Education Sector Performance in the UAE
- Mature Market: The UAE, particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has a well-developed private education market.
- Enrollment Growth: Over 300,000 students were enrolled in Dubai’s private schools in 2022, with 21 new private schools established since 2019.
- New Projects: Yas, Reem, and Saadiyat Islands in Abu Dhabi, along with Deira, Al Khawaneej, and Bluewaters Island in Dubai, are key areas for new educational investments.
- EdTech Expansion: The e-learning market in the UAE is projected to grow to $7.1 billion by 2023, with approximately 200 EdTech companies operating in the country by 2021.
- Investment Focus: International investments are particularly strong in mid-fee education sectors. Companies like Safanad and Global School Management plan to invest $200 million in educational assets.
Tools to Manage Student Admissions and Enrollment
Private education institutions, including schools and universities, compete to recruit new students and retain existing ones to meet target enrollment rates across each educational stage. Achieving these goals requires tools and platforms that create effective collaboration between marketing, sales, and customer service teams.
Implementing a Student Admission Management system is essential for achieving intelligent integration across marketing, sales, and customer service departments.
One of the most preferred platforms for private education marketing and admissions teams is HubSpot for Education.
HubSpot is an all-in-one platform offering a range of advanced tools for managing sales, marketing, and customer service tasks, tailored to the needs of businesses across various industries. HubSpot is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange and has been recognized by Gartner as a leading platform for modern, automated marketing solutions in the B2B sector.
HubSpot Smart CRM Tools For Educational Sector
Private education institutions, including schools and universities, are constantly competing to attract and retain students to meet enrollment targets. Achieving this requires advanced tools to seamlessly integrate marketing, sales, and customer service teams. One platform that has proven invaluable in this sector is HubSpot CRM.
Why HubSpot for Education?
HubSpot offers a comprehensive suite of tools that private education institutions can leverage to streamline their student recruitment and admissions processes. Many global educational institutions rely on HubSpot CRM for:
- Managing New Student Applications: Track and manage new applications from the initial form submission to final admission decisions.
- Customer Support Integration: Provide a seamless omnichannel helpdesk that handles inquiries from parents and students across multiple platforms.
- Empowering the Sales Team: Equip sales teams with tools to follow up with prospective students and meet enrollment goals.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Store key data and provide insights that help staff understand student profiles and make informed decisions.
Using HubSpot for Admissions in Saudi Arabian Schools
Here is a practical example of how HubSpot can be used to manage student admissions for an educational group with several international schools in Saudi Arabia, with configuration set up by TAG Marketing Consulting LLC.
– Marketing Forms for Student Applications
The application form process can be tailored based on the target audience and the page where the form is hosted. Examples include:
- Creating forms for new student applications and callback requests, the latter typically used by already registered students.
- Evaluating seasonal campaign performance. Separate forms can be created for registration requests based on event participation or exhibitions.
- Adding custom data, such as the number of children being enrolled, which helps prioritize registration requests.
- Using UTM data to analyze the sources of student registrations across advertising channels.
- HubSpot provides in-depth analytics to evaluate the performance of each form.
- Managing applications for multiple schools by creating separate forms for each institution and automating the process using workflows to assign data to the appropriate school account manager.
– Managing Student Registration Data
HubSpot CRM offers one of the best technical solutions for managing customer data, equipped with advanced features. For student registration data management, HubSpot leverages AI technologies to review and merge duplicate data entries while tracking registration duplicates to avoid redundancy.
Staff can access a student’s data and interaction history, including their journey from visiting the site to submitting an application. This allows teams to handle tasks such as calling, sending WhatsApp messages, or emails directly from the contact page.
In case of staff absence, another team member can pick up where they left off by reviewing the student’s data and continuing the process.
– Omnichannel Helpdesk Support Center
One of HubSpot’s standout features is its ability to gather multiple support channels into one inbox, accessible via desktop or the HubSpot mobile app.
Support reps can respond to inquiries from website chats, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp, all from a single platform. A chatbot can also be activated to provide automated responses outside of working hours or during holidays.
Enabling the HubSpot Chatbot led to 30% of the targeted student applications being met for the 2024–2025 academic year.
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Conclusion
The private education sector in the MENA region is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the demand for quality education and the increasing population. Educational institutions that aim to stay ahead of the competition must embrace advanced tools like HubSpot to streamline their admissions processes and improve student recruitment.
By utilizing HubSpot’s robust CRM capabilities, schools can manage student applications more efficiently, offer superior customer service, and track the entire admissions funnel through insightful reports and dashboards.
Investing in these technologies not only enhances operational efficiency but also drives enrollment growth, positioning institutions for long-term success in a highly competitive market.
At TAG Marketing Consulting, we focus on aligning HubSpot’s advanced tools with your institution’s goals, whether it’s improving student data collection, segmentation, or tracking key performance metrics through intuitive dashboards. Our strategic approach ensures that your HubSpot account is set up for success from the very beginning, providing you with the insights and automation necessary to optimize every stage of the student journey—from registration to enrollment. Partnering with TAG Marketing Consulting empowers educational institutions to achieve higher enrollment rates, enhance engagement with prospective students, and ultimately drive growth in an increasingly competitive landscape.