Iraq Parliament approves $ 119.1 billion budget

Updated 08 March 2013
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Iraq Parliament approves $ 119.1 billion budget

BAGHDAD: Iraq's Parliament approved yesterday a $ 119.1 billion (91.6 billion-euro) budget for 2013 after weeks of delay, but Kurdish representatives and most members of the main Iraqiya bloc did not attend, MPs said.
Parliament has struggled to pass even key legislation such as the budget due to political disputes that have deadlocked the body.
"The vote was held today on all the articles of the budget," Ali Shlah, an MP from Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki's State of Law bloc, told AFP.
There were 168 out of 325 MPs present at the time of the vote, Shlah said, explaining that Kurdish MPs and about three-quarters of those from the secular, Iraqiya bloc did not attend.
MP Alaa Talabani told AFP the Kurdish representatives stayed away because they consider the amount of money allocated in the budget to pay foreign oil companies operating in autonomous Kurdistan to be insufficient — a long-running dispute between the region and Baghdad.
And Iraqiya is at odds with Al-Maliki over its accusations against him of authoritarianism and sectarianism.
Rafa Al-Essawi, a leading Sunni and Iraqiya member who served as finance minister, announced his resignation at an anti-government protest earlier this month.
Shlah said the budget contains additions from the version approved by the cabinet last October.
Officials said in January that those salaries would be increased, a measure aimed at placating demonstrators who have held weeks of protests against the government in areas of western and northern Iraq.
The budget allocates about $ 16.9 billion, or 14.1 percent of the total, to security and defense, according to parliament's website.

 


Saudi Arabia leads outcome-based education to prepare future-ready generations: Harvard Business Review

A Harvard sign is seen at the Harvard University campus in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 27, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 10 February 2026
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Saudi Arabia leads outcome-based education to prepare future-ready generations: Harvard Business Review

  • The Riyadh-based school group developed a strategy that links every classroom activity to measurable student competencies, aiming to graduate learners equipped for the digital economy and real-world contexts

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s education system is undergoing a sweeping transformation aligned with Vision 2030, shifting from traditional, input-focused methods to outcome-based education designed to equip students with future-ready skills, Harvard Business Review Arabic reported.

The transformation is being adopted and spearheaded by institutions such as Al-Nobala Private Schools, which introduced the Kingdom’s first national “learning outcomes framework,” aimed at preparing a generation of leaders and innovators for an AI-driven future, the report said.

Al-Nobala has leveraged international expertise to localize advanced learning methodologies.

The Riyadh-based school group developed a strategy that links every classroom activity to measurable student competencies, aiming to graduate learners equipped for the digital economy and real-world contexts. The school’s group approach combines traditional values with 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, communication, innovation and digital fluency.

According to the report, the shift addresses the growing gap between outdated models built for low-tech, resource-constrained environments and today’s dynamic world, where learners must navigate real-time information, virtual platforms, and smart technologies.

“This is not just about teaching content, it’s about creating impact,” the report noted, citing how Al-Nobala’s model prepares students to thrive in an AI-driven world while aligning with national priorities.

The report noted that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education has paved the way for this shift by transitioning from a centralized controller to a strategic enabler, allowing schools such as Al-Nobala to tailor their curriculum to meet evolving market and societal needs. This is part of the long-term goal to place the Kingdom among the top 20 global education systems.

Al-Nobala’s work, the report stated, has succeeded in serving the broader national effort to link education outcomes directly to labor market demands, helping to fulfill the Vision 2030 pillar of building a vibrant society with a thriving economy driven by knowledge and innovation.

Last February, Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Saudi Arabia’s minister of education, said that the Kingdom was making “an unprecedented investment in education,” with spending aligned to the needs of growth and development. He said that in 2025, education received the second-largest share of the state budget, totaling $53.5 billion.