The number of students from the Middle East enrolling in Australian educational institutions jumped more than 43 per cent to 13,438 students last year compared to 9,376 students in 2006, according to Australian government statistics. Of this, about 10 per cent or 1,332 students hail from the UAE.
Those who are completing school and are looking for a foreign degree could explore some Australian universities, which are convenient both in financial and cultural aspects.
"We've got some very good universities with strong research faculties," Mike Rann, South Australian Premier, told Gulf News in a recent interview.
"South Australia is a state in transition with tremendous opportunities. The economic opportunities will create a strong demand for employment and we'd need to groom more skilled human resources for our economy."
Catering to students' needs
"For our Middle Eastern students, we have created a Muslim-friendly environment that will help to attract more Muslim students to Adelaide," Rann said.
Student enrolment from the Middle East has gained momentum in Australia since September 11. However, the growth in foreign student enrolment in South Australia has outshone Australia's national average, as the state has a lower foreign student enrolment.
"In 1998, international student enrolment was 5,000, which grew to 23,500 by the end of 2007," said Denise Von Wald, chief executive of education Adelaide. "Foreign student enrolment in Adelaide is growing at twice the Australian national average."
The number of students enrolled in Adelaide's institutes rose to 350,000 last year, Von Wald said. Three universities dominate Adelaide's higher education landscape - University of South Australia, University of Adelaide and Flinders University - in addition to about 20 colleges and two hotel management institutions.
Based on the year-to-date November 2007 figures from Education Australia, the number of overseas students from the Middle East and North Africa rose 31.5 per cent for South Australia and 43.3 per cent nationally.
There are approximately 484 foreign students from the Middle East in South Australia, representing 3.6 per cent of the enrolment from the Middle East in Australia, against 41.7 per cent enrolling in New South Wales and 23.4 per cent in Victoria states.
A recent attraction
South Australia has historically been ignored by international student communities as their top priorities have always been either Sydney or Melbourne.
Adelaide, the South Australian state capital, has only in recent years begun to attract large numbers of foreign students, especially from the Middle East whose students began to face discrimination from the US authorities following September 11.
"South Australia is an ideal location for Middle Eastern students," Von Wald said. "Adelaide hosts the oldest mosque in Australia. Besides, students from the Middle East do not face discrimination as Adelaide is known for racial and religious harmony. "We also publish a Muslim Students Guide every year.
Campuses have prayer rooms while girl students are free to wear headscarves." The South Australian government is planning to build a residential facility for Muslim women and students, she said.
Cost-wise, education in Adelaide is 18 per cent cheaper than in Sydney and 16 per cent lower than that in Melbourne.
"While tuition fees are low, a lower cost of living in Adelaide makes it much more economic for foreign students," Von Wald said.
Deep impact
The international education industry poured a $553 million into the South Australian economy in the 2005-06 fiscal year, up 17.6 per cent from A$470 million in the previous year, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Of the A$553 million (Dh2.03 billion) spent by foreign students, an estimated A$219.9 million (Dh760 million) was for tuition fees and another A$333.1 million (Dh1.15 billion) was for goods and services.
The government estimates the international enrolments in South Australia would cross 30,000 by 2010.
Collaboration
South Australia is keen to expand ties with the Gulf states and their educational institutes to expand knowledge, officials said.
The University of Adelaide in 2005 entered into a joint collaboration with the University of Sharjah in a $6 million deal to set up a world-class dental educational faculty to offer Bachelor of Dental Surgery. The college has since been doing well under the able guidance of the University of Adelaide.
