Doha: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) has launched an enhanced licensing system for private schools and kindergartens, marking a shift in the education system and the oversight of the nation’s private education sector. This new system introduces multi-year educational licenses, ranging from 3 to 5 years, replacing the current annual licensing system.
According to Qatar News Agency, the announcement was made at a press conference attended by HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi. The Ministry highlighted that the new system aligns with the best regional and global practices in regulating private education. It utilizes flexible mechanisms for licensing and regular oversight, ensuring integration with national legislation and state-of-the-art practices.
Director of the MOEHE’s Private Schools and Kindergartens Department, Dr. Rania Mohamed, stated that the system is a critical regulatory step designed to streamline procedures, support operational stability, and promote education quality. Licenses will be granted based on clear criteria and superb corporate performance.
The Department aims to address challenges faced by developers and investors in this sector by conducting a comprehensive study of the current situation. Specialized task forces have been established to create a system that balances education quality requirements with efficient regulatory procedures, Dr. Mohamed emphasized.
Dr. Mohamed noted that the revamped system addresses key challenges, such as the short duration of educational licenses and the multitude of requirements for renewal, which are linked to various regulatory agencies. The system aims to mitigate administrative and financial burdens cost-effectively while enhancing the experience for investors. It also provides an interactive licensing platform to remind schools and follow up on document validity.
Key features of the system include offering long-term educational licenses. A 3-year license will be granted to new and existing schools starting in January 2026, while a 5-year license will be available to schools demonstrating high and stable performance. Licenses must meet conditions such as national or global accreditation, a “very good” rating in core subjects, a staffing stability rate of 70%, and no major disciplinary sanctions in the past two years.
Dr. Mohamed highlighted that the system offers unprecedented facilitation by decoupling the renewal of educational licenses from the validity periods of supporting documents like civil defense certificates. These documents may now be issued for up to five years, along with lease agreement attestations and camera system installation certificates. School owners must sign a compliance undertaking confirming the fulfillment of these conditions.
The system includes technical surveillance of buildings and issues follow-up reports every 18 months to ensure compliance with safety standards, potentially reducing financial and operational costs by up to 80% for high-performing schools.
The implementation of this advanced system will begin nationwide for all private schools and kindergartens from October 2025, with incremental licensing until December 2027. Advanced licenses will be available starting from January 2026 until December 2030.