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Eyewitness Report

MEC campus: valuable edupreneurship lessons
MIDDLE EAST COLLEGE, MUSCAT

EXEMPLARY INDO-OMAN JOINT VENTURE

A private higher education institution promoted by Omani and Indian
edupreneurs, MEC (estb.2002) has built an excellent reputation for providing
high-quality computer science, engineering and business management
education to 4,500 students. It is now poised to expand operations abroad

DILIP THAKORE

n the popular imagination, the Sultanate of Oman cooperation of expatriates from around the world who
is a dry desert outpost of the United Arab Emirates constitute over half the population of Muscat, the city is
(UAE), a confederation of seven tiny independent fast emerging as a business, commerce and industry hub
kingdoms (pop. 11.4 million) of which Dubai (pop.4 in its own right and has set its sights on levelling up with
Imillion) with its Burj Khalifa, gleaming skyscrapers Dubai and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) as a commercial — and
and luxe shopping malls is the commercial capital. But especially education — epicenter of the Middle East.
the popular imagination requires correction. Significantly, this progressive sultanate in which Islam
Oman is a totally independent crude oil-rich kingdom is the dominant religion — women enjoy equal civil rights
(pop.5.3 million) presided by His Majesty Sultan and occupy high positions in government, industry and
Haitham bin Tariq who succeeded his cousin Sultan education institutions — has a long shared history with
Qaboos bin Said Al Said after he ruled over the sultan- the Indian subcontinent dating back thousands of years,
ate for nearly 50 years from 1970 until he passed away a narrative glossed over by British and Anglophone histo-
in 2020. Under the enlightened and progressive rule of rians.
the Al Bu Said dynasty, with the ready, willing and able Oman’s ports of Sur and Sohar were important pit

112 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2025