RIYADH: The Ministry of Education and private investors sought to find common ground here recently over rising tuition costs in the country.

Minister Azzam Al-Dakhil said that while he supported the private education sector, there should be greater attempts made to reduce costs, improve performance and hire more Saudis, a local publication reported recently.

There were also representatives from the labor and defense ministries present at the meeting, which looked at other issues including preparing students for universities, the report said.

Several investors present at the meeting complained that they were faced with rising operational costs and received little support from the ministry. They were also worried about not having support from the Human Resources Development Fund in about 18 months, which they said would further increase education costs.

Al-Dakhil reportedly admitted that the ministry was not doing enough to support investors but said that the government had created a regulatory environment to ensure that the education sector helps to boost the country’s economy through public-private partnerships.

He said the ministry’s goals are to ensure that quality education is provided for citizens and residents in the country, in line with the government’s developmental goals, the report stated.

The ministry also wants private education to play a bigger role in the sector in future, which would require greater cooperation between the government and investors, he said.

He said the ministry supports communication channels with investors through seminars, forums, meetings, and the Private Education Forum, which would assist in facilitating investments in a transparent and competitive manner.