Doha:HE Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen, Salah Khaled, has praised Qatar's significant contributions to education, innovation, and international cooperation. This acknowledgment was made during the Fifth UNESCO Conference on Higher Education in the Arab region held in Doha, under the theme “The New Landscape of Learning in Higher Education in the Arab Region.”

According to Qatar News Agency, Khaled commended the role of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science in fostering a constructive partnership. He also highlighted the vision of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, acknowledging his efforts in transforming Qatar’s higher education landscape, which has had a positive impact across the Arab region.

The conference, held amidst global changes affecting higher education, focused on challenges such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation, labor market demands, and academic mobility. Khaled noted the progress in the Arab region with higher education enrollment now at approximately 15 million students and a gross enrollment rate of 37 percent in 2024.

Khaled emphasized the need to improve educational quality and prepare learners for the future with innovative and inclusive approaches. Milestones celebrated at the conference included the revised regional convention on the recognition of higher education studies, certificates, and academic degrees in the Arab states, which Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, and Yemen have ratified. Additionally, the Arabic version of UNESCO’s global roadmap, "Transforming Higher Education A Global Ambition, A Shared Achievement," was launched.

UNESCO has identified four core priorities for transforming higher education expanding equitable access and student success, enhancing institutional capacity and quality, promoting responsible digital transformation and ethical AI, and strengthening regional and global cooperation. Khaled urged conference participants to turn these discussions into concrete actions that benefit vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, youth in conflict zones, refugees, and displaced persons, to ensure a brighter future for Arab higher education.