MENA Edtech Market Forecast to 2028 - Regional Analysis by Sector and End User

The MENA edtech market is expected to grow from US$ 2.5 billion in 2022 to US$ 5.5 billion by 2028; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 14.2% from 2023 to 2028.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the demand for online learning programs has been increasing. Instead of the conventional ways of education, the population is inclining toward educational platforms facilitating remote learning. Furthermore, the government acceptance of online education platforms has increased in the region in response to the pandemic. It is seen that the governments of various countries in MENA are taking multiple initiatives to enhance online learning. For instance, the UAE government partnered with the Emirates Red Crescent to establish the Digital School Fund with a US$ 27.22 million (AED100 million) investment during the World Government Summit 2023 in February 2023. Through this partnership, the government aims to financially support the Digital School’s programs and provide smart, flexible distance education systems in different countries affected by disasters and crises, relating to formal education. Thus, such initiatives by the government will fuel the MENA edtech market growth during the forecasted period.

Moreover, various key global market players are launching online learning projects in the region. For instance, in January 2023, KITMEK launched the Middle East’s first interactive digital school, which is taught by an AI-based tutor. Students in kindergarten up to grade 5 can access a global curriculum for just US$ 1 per month via this platform. Also, through this initiative, children can learn and revise at their own pace and revisit any topic at their convenience. Similarly, in March 2022, BYJU’s and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) countersigned a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch a new edtech business, research, and development center in Doha. The new center will engage in research and innovation programs to offer customized learning solutions to pupils in MENA. In all, such new learning solutions introduced by market players will further fuel the MENA edtech market growth.

Personalized learning is a learner-centred approach intending to create a learning experience tailored as per student's needs and abilities to improve engagement and provide motivation and learning outcomes. This way of learning encourages students to take an active role, as it helps set goals, track progress, and reflect on their learning. This process also provides better learning outcomes, such as higher retention rates and better assessment performance, as the courses are designed according to the learner's interest. Furthermore, personalized learning allows learners to access their courses at their own pace and schedule, which helps in learning different subjects even with busy schedules. Owing to all the above benefits, various market players offer personalized learning experiences to customers. In April 2023, Coursera announced the launch of new platform tools and features to help provide customers with personalized and interactive online learning. These new tools and features are Coursera Coach Powered by Generative AI, ML-Powered Translations, and Flexible Viewing in Guided Projects, which will provide more personalized learning to the customers. Thus, the growing demand for personalized learning and the increasing adoption of the approach by the market players will fuel the growth of the MENA edtech market during the forecast period.

Udemy, Inc.; Coursera Inc.; Blackboard Inc.; Duolingo; and edX LLC are a few MENA edtech market players profiled in this market study. Almentor FZCO, Sololearn Inc, Zendy Institute, Noon Academy, and Beams International LLC (Baims) are few other notable MENA edtech market players profiled in the report.

The major end-users of the edtech market include individuals, academic institutions, and others. In 2022, the individual segment held the largest share, and is the fastest-growing segment in the edtech market. Efficient learning, greater engagement, and round-the-clock access to online material drive the growing demand for edtech among end users.

The COVID pandemic has a positive impact of the MENA edtech market. In MENA, several higher education providers increased online degree platforms and courses because the demand for online education has risen sharply since the initial phase of COVID-19 pandemic. Coursera witnessed a 500% increase in online learners from MENA since mid-March of 2020, according to the report of Al-Fanar Media. Currently, Coursera has ~3.4 million learners in MENA. Besides, in March 2020, FutureLearn, an online courses provider, reported a 500% increase in participation from MENA. Similarly, edX's regional enrolments have escalated by more than 200% since March 2020. HP Inc also launched its digital teaching, comprehensive, and learning program in May 2021. These e-learning programs help improve the student's assessment results and overall performance. Thus, online education has seen a significant rise in the mid of 2021 in the MENA countries, indicating immense potential for the edtech market in the region.