The number of illiterates in the 22 Arab countries is around 67 million accounting for 40 percent of the total population aged 15 years and over. Meanwhile , Gulf oil revenues are expected to exceed $600 billion in both 2008 and 2009, according to a recent report. That means that if all Gulf oil revenues are spent on educating all the “out of school” children, spending $8,000 yearly on each, that would eradicate illiteracy altogether. But spending $8,000 per child is high, even by international school standards and education in public schools does not require much money. At best $200 per year would suffice. That’s $13.4 billion annually, leaving Gulf states with a whopping $586.6 billion annually.
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