Kuwait Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in kuwait, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Education and Training
Last published date:

OVERVIEW 

 Kuwait spends heavily to improve its educational system, rebuild old schools and create new facilities. The budget allocated for the 2024-2025 fiscal year is $7.17 billion.

Scholarships and Study Abroad

Kuwaiti students who have a high school diploma or equivalent are eligible to apply for the Ministry of Higher Education Scholarship Program for undergraduate studies. In July 2024, the Government of Kuwait provided 3,325 external scholarships for 2024-2025 compared to 5,604 internal scholarships awarded to local public and private universities during the same period, a 13 percent decrease. Engineering in the U.S. remains the number one major for Kuwaiti students and engineering scholarships accounted for 44.5 percent of total U.S. scholarships.

The percentage of U.S. scholarships awarded dropped three percent (from 27 percent in school year 2023-2024 to 24 percent this year), largely due to (18.5 percent) more scholarships being awarded to undergraduate medical and pharmacy programs that are not offered by U.S. institutions. While the percentage of scholarships granted to students headed to UK universities has largely remained constant over the past four years, there has been a marked increase in scholarships to other countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Malta, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Ireland.

In 2018, the Ministry of Higher Education adopted a new regulation stating that Kuwaiti students seeking to obtain a scholarship to study in the United States are required to obtain a score of 5 in IELTS (TOEFL equivalent) to be accepted into the program. This is one of the reasons why the number of scholarships has been decreasing over the past few years. The Ministry of Higher Education hopes to increase the number of scholarships available to its students to address the volume of high school graduates seeking higher education abroad.

Current Demand

U.S. universities focused on attracting Kuwaiti students should contact the Cultural Office of the Embassy of the State of Kuwait in Washington, D.C., and request inclusion on its list of pre-approved universities. Universities must meet specific criteria to be included on the Kuwait Embassy’s Cultural Office list. To confirm if your university is already on the list, visit the Kuwait Cultural Office D.C. website. 

Schools and Universities in Kuwait

There are 1,275 public and private elementary and secondary schools in Kuwait. In February 2022, the Ministry of Education (MOE) began to revamp its entire curriculum, starting at the primary school level. The project plans to cover all subjects, from social sciences to mathematics and science. Industry experts expect the demand for training programs will increase due to Kuwait’s multibillion-dollar national development plan. Of the 30 international schools, eight are American and the others follow Canadian, British, French, or Indian curricula. 

There are two public universities in Kuwait. Kuwait University accepted 8,880 new students for the 2024-2025 academic year. In May 2024, Kuwait University inaugurated its new Sabah Al Salem University City campus, integrating six of its colleges and scientific centers. The second public university is Abdullah Al Salem University which received its first batch of 605 new students in September 2023. 

There are currently fifteen private universities in Kuwait: the American University of Kuwait, American University of the Middle East, Arab Open University, Australian College of Kuwait, Kuwait International Law School, Kuwait Maastricht Business School, Algonquin College, Kuwait Technical College, Box Hill College, American International University, Gulf University of Science and Technology, Kuwait College of Science & Technology, College of Aviation Technology, American College of the Middle East, and International University of Science and Technology in Kuwait. 

Training 

There is high demand for vocational and non-degree training in Kuwait. The government is keen to educate the next generation of Kuwaitis to lead diversification and development of Kuwait.  The government of Kuwait provides vocational training through the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET).  PAAET provides trainings in a number of fields: Telecommunication & Air Navigation, Electricity & Water Training, Industrial Training, Establishment Training, Nursing, Vocational Training, and Administrative Office Training. PAAET also manages the licensing process for private training companies. PAAET is looking for new training programs and technology to better educate students.

Sub-sectors 

Best Prospect Services 

  • ESL and TOEFL courses
  • Certified Programs: executive training, management training, IT training, security training, and ongoing professional development
  • U.S. medical board exam review courses

Digital Marketing Strategies

In Kuwait, digital marketing strategies used by students include Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Webex. Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube (for streaming videos), and Facebook are popular social media sites for Kuwaiti students; Facebook is less popular among the younger generation. The most popular information search site for students is Google. Therefore, it is important to make sure content on educational opportunities is up-to-date and your institution’s search engine optimization (SEO) strategy is strong. Some of the popular online platforms for students seeking job opportunities are Gulf Talent, Bayt, and LinkedIn.  

Opportunities 

In March 2025, the Ministry of Higher Education added new majors to the approved U.S. universities list: public health, emergency and crisis management, psychology, biological sciences, media, and information security.

Events

The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait places significant emphasis on the promotion of American education and training institutions. An effective way to promote your university to Kuwaiti high schools is via the U.S. Commercial Service’s Gold Key Service. We can arrange 1-2 days of appointments with high school counselors and principals. Universities that have utilized this service in the past have found it to be very effective in establishing business relationships with local international and bilingual schools. 

Resources 

For further information on the education sector, please contact Commercial Assistant Alaa Zayed at alaa.zayed@trade.gov. 

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility