Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education H E Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi with members of the GCC delegation during a meeting.
Doha, Qatar: A GCC delegation of higher education and scientific research specialists has paid a two-day visit to the State of Qatar as part of implementing the decisions and recommendations of the 24th Meeting of GCC Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research, held in Doha in June 2024.
The visit aimed at enhancing cooperation and sharing best practices among the member states through regular visits.
The delegation started the visit with a meeting with HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi, at the premises of the Higher Education Affairs Sector of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE).
Assistant Undersecretary for Higher Education Affairs at MoEHE, Dr. Hareb Al Jabri, engaged virtually with the representatives of the GCC General Secretariat participating in the meeting, alongside delegations from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Kuwait, and the Sultanate of Oman, in addition to Kuwaiti academic institutions that participated remotely.
During the meeting, the directors of the sector’s departments delivered a presentation outlining the efforts, projects, plans, and programs related to higher education in the State of Qatar, including credential evaluation, student exchange programs, and outstanding initiatives.
In addition, the delegation met with Chair of the National Committee for Qualifications and Academic Accreditation, Dr. Mazen Hasna, to explore the committee’s operations, as well as facets of cooperation with the General Secretariat and international organizations.
The visit comes as part of the Higher Education Planning, Coordination, and Follow-up Committee’s activities, which were endorsed at the 25th Meeting of the Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the State of Kuwait in May 2025, with the objective of exploring issues of shared concern, reviewing the best experiences and practices pursued in the domains of higher education and scientific research, such as scholarship systems, university governance, and mechanisms for recognizing academic qualifications, in addition to discussing ways to enhance universities’ rankings in international indicators.
Representing the State of Qatar in this committee were Director of the Higher Education Institutions Department, Dr. Batool Al Sayed, and Amina Al Bouainain, International Studies Consultant at the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science.
On the second day, the delegation paid field visits to the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), where President of UDST, Dr. Salem bin Nasser Al Naemi, delivered a presentation about the university’s achievements, followed by a tour to the specialized technical colleges and laboratories.
The delegation also toured the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI) and met with the President of DI, Dr. Abdelwahab El Affendi, who highlighted its efforts in reinforcing cooperation with the GCC states and recruiting Gulf students.
The GCC General Secretariat expressed its gratitude for the reviewed experiences and initiatives, which provided an incredible opportunity to share viewpoints among the representatives of the GCC states on the future of higher education, in addition to enhancing expansion in academic and research programs and exploring opportunities for joint agreements in the area of quality assurance.
Throughout these meetings and field visits, the State of Qatar presented an overview of the higher education landscape, highlighting the participation of Gulf students in its universities, as well as ongoing initiatives and developments to serve the joint Gulf objectives.
