RIYADH: Kuwait-based educational technology startup Dawrat has announced its expansion into Saudi Arabia. Dawrat aims to capitalize on the growing need for a skilled workforce in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region especially in light of the rising interest among young people in entrepreneurship, Wamda reported. It also offers more than 10,000 Arabic language courses to users across the MENA region. “Every country in the GCC now has its own development strategy, including KSA, so there"s a need for skilled laborers to support these strategies. Saudi has the fastest execution plan, so it definitely makes sense to expand there,” Mohammad Al Suraya, co-founder of Dawrat said. Another challenge to educational technologies is the belief that traditional learning methods are superior to online learning. “The lack of recognition and accreditation for online learning is the main challenge that we are facing in the region.” “Unlike in the US and Europe, where online learning became more recognized and known years ago, the governments here are not looking at online learning as a learning support mechanism rather than a product or professional education method,” Al Suraya explained. The Middle East and North Africa region continue to be a large market for education technology (edtech). The total value of the education technology market in the MENA region is expected to reach $7 billion by 2027, according to a report by Report Linker, a global market research company.