Middle Eastern students are increasingly picking the UK as their schooling destination of choice, according to experts.
From Harrow School, where many of the Jordanian royal family were educated, to Eton College, previously attended by many Arab royals – British independent schools have long been popular with the region’s wealthy elite.
Currently 1,527 children of Middle East nationality attend UK independent schools, along with 3,603 expat children hailing from the region, according to the latest data from the Independent Schools Council.
Middle East-based parents are increasingly keen to see their children attend top-tier universities such as Oxford, Cambridge or Harvard and are choosing British boarding schools for elite preparatory education, said Dr Guy Schady-Beckett, head of research at Next Step Education and director of the Independent Schools Show.
“Regional parents view UK schools as a springboard towards an elite global education,” commented Dr Schady-Beckett, adding that parents are attracted to the “broad and rich” range of sporting and cultural activities that British schools offer.
UAE domiciled students filed 116 applications to Oxford University in 2020, with a 2.5 percent success rate, according to the organisation’s 2020 figures. Comparatively, students from UK independent schools filed 4,060 applications to the university with a 21.8 percent success rate.
British career boost
“Middle Eastern interest in UK education has been growing substantially over the last 20 years. Parents like the fact the UAE is a relatively short hop to London – many pupils are able to go home most holidays,” said Schady-Beckett.
“For the primary or secondary school age group, the US is far away for many Middle Eastern parents,” he added. “The UK is a preferred option because it’s a springboard to either building a life or career in the UK, or moving to the US.”
The Independent School Show (ISS) exhibition is set to take place at the Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel, Dubai, from November 26-27. More than 5,000 parents and their children are expected to attend the show, which is designed to provide information about the UK independent education sector.
Now in its fifteenth year, ISS gives parents access to UK educators, from nurseries through to sixth form colleges. The list includes elite names in British education, such as Fettes College, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Marlborough College, Haileybury and Wellington College, as well as independent school groups, such as GDST and Duke’s Education.
Stuart Leslie, international sales and marketing director, at property company Barratt London, which supports parents and students with expat housing requirements, said that while the UK real estate sector is “performing well”, property investment value often represents a “secondary benefit” behind buying a home as a UK base for schooling, business, and access to cultural amenities.
“Arabs are buying homes in London to be close to the theatre, culture, parks and great shopping,” said Leslie. “They also view the home as a foundation for future building in the UK.”
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