Education and Training

Education is a vital factor in the progression and development of any nation. The youth of the kingdom are the pinnacles of growth and aspiration, paving the way towards a knowledge-driven society. This section showcases the Saudi Arabia's efforts to promote and ensure that knowledge and skills are embedded throughout the culture, preparing the adolescents of the nation to progress into the building blocks of their society. Here, you will be taken through the many programs in the education system dedicated to early childhood advancement while also understanding the public education system. This segment will also shed light on the conditions of general education for non-Saudis, the national and foreign education related to private schools, special education programs and training curricula for individuals with disabilities, distance education and e-learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety awareness and measures of implementation in the schooling.

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"Education shall aim to instill the Islamic creed in the young, impart knowledge and skills to them, and prepare them to be useful members in building their society, loving their homeland, and taking pride in its history." ...... (Basic Law of Saudi Arabia Article 13)

Tasks and Responsibilities of the Ministry of Education

Early Childhood Stage

This stage is dedicated to children under the age of six and is offered through government and private kindergartens throughout the Saudi Arabia and are divided into nurseries and pre-school.

Maaeen for Kindergarten

A free accord offered by the Ministry of Education (MoE), devoted to providing kindergarten children, in small regions and governates of the kingdom an opportunity to study in national schools with the conditions and standards of the MoE

A free accord offered by the MoE devoted to providing children in kindergarten, primary, secondary, and intermediate stages of education the opportunity to study in special education schools, or enroll in special education programs per the required conditions and standards.

Early childhood projects and programs include:

Building curricular and developing systems in early childhood.

Virtual Kindergarten.

Buildings and equipment.

Foundational practices for early childhood literary.

Studying criteria and controls for admission regulations and evaluation of students in early childhood stages.

Healthy nutrition practices.

Attracting specialists and experts in the early childhood stage.

Maaeen for Special Education

Early Childhood Projects and Programs

Virtual Kindergarten

This app gives you educational modules in alignment with the Saudi curriculum, in order to provide means of remote education.

More about early childhood

Early Childhood General Adminsitration

A guide for returning to Kindergarten during COVID-19

Public Education

Public education is free and necessary for citizens and residents enrolling in government schools. An appropriate educational environment, facilities, textbooks and means of free transportation are provided by the MoE for the following three stages:

Elementary School: This stage consists of six academic years, starting at the ages of 5 – 6.

Middle School: This stage consists of three academic years.

High School: This stage consists of three academic years. Industrial institutes and construction and architectural institutes also offer high school levels.

Noor System

Noor System is an inclusive program of educational procedures for registration in schools for primary, secondary, or early childhood stages of education. The MoE launched this platform with the intent to provide the guardians of students with the opportunity to register their children in any government or private school within Saudi Arabia.

Service: Registering a Student in General Education (Registration in Schools)

Service: Registering in the Summer Semester

To view the Educational Map for Schools click here.

Moving forward, theSaudi Arabia is making tangible and remarkable progress in the education sector by using technical tools that contribute to realizing the nation's vision towards digital transformation and making it chart a qualitative leap in all aspects of education, including the registration and transfer of students to primary school classes, where the successful ones are transferred to the new academic year and registered automatically without The guardian presence in the school or submitting the application manually.

Hence, the Noor system, provides the ability to process all information related to students' grades electronically, and display a set of reports, statistics and notifications related to them, in addition to displaying various certificates.

The system administrator defines the study plans used in the various educational systems for all stages and grades, determines the plan's materials, and divides its grades by defining and distributing their distribution plans and moving them automatically.

The system also allows for electronic registration of first-grade students, whereby school principals and parents can easily register students through an integrated automated system.The information and registration settings that the Admissions Director and authorized officials define control the admission process, so parents, school principals, and administration supervisors submit and send electronic student registration requests to the activated primary schools. The principals of these schools view the applications and accept or reject them, a well The Director of Examinations and Admissions in the Department can accept or reject applications for registration of students under the age of six years by one hundred and eighty days.

At the end of the last semester, if the student passed by the decision of the committee, a list of the subjects taught to them and their level in each of them will appear in number and writing, and a message will appear informing them that they will be promoted to the next grade, in addition to the opinion of the Guidance and Counseling Committee and its observations and the reasons that necessitated the student’s promotion. A list of the Guidance and Counseling Committee members appears, for each of them to sign the certificate.

If the student failed, a list of skills that they did not master in the subjects taught to them will appear, as well as a message informing them that they will repeat the class, in addition to the opinion of the Guidance and Counseling Committee and its observations and the reasons that necessitated the students return to the class, and a list of the members of the Guidance and Counseling Committee will also appear for each of them to sign on the certificate.

General education statistics for all regions of the Kingdom for the year 2021-2022

Number of Education administrators	Numbers of Teachers	Number of students	Number of classes	number of schools
110982	490555	6315848	280077	43233

For more detailed statistics, please click here.

Adapt New Technology

The MoE is keen to optimize technical development. During the LEAP23 conference, the MoE presented 9 interactive digital platforms and services that support the student's current and future academic journey; In order to achieve the comprehensive quality that serves the education process, develops its performance, and enhances its gains, including the Rawdati and Madrasati platforms, which provide different operational models for e-learning and distance education, the virtual school to serve school students in remote areas, the central examinations platform, and the information system, and The innovative educational system Noor which is comprehensive and integrated educational processes, in addition to the (Safeer2) platform to provide all services related to studying abroad and scholarships, and the Muaahal platform to provide academic documents digitally for graduates and students of public and university education for the public and private sectors, and the certificate equivalency service for different educational systems.

National Education Portal (IEN)

It is a safe and free portal that facilitates digital empowerment in education and improves teaching and learning processes. It also provides reliable e-learning services to all students, teachers, educational leaders, supervisors, and parents. The students can exchange knowledge with their group. It also supports the teachers in demonstrating their creativity in the classroom. It is also a communication channel between the teacher and the students with what they have learned and measuring and enhancing their learning. It also gives the parents access to follow-up and support the school in the learning process and reflects indicators to educational leaders to improve academic progress and gaps to address them.

General Education Progress in Global Performance Indicators in 2022

The MoE’s efforts to develop public education has contributed to improving learning outcomes, enhancing the ability of the Saudi public education sector to compete globally, achieving many achievements during 2022, and continuing to advance global performance indicators in the field of education.

According to the World Competitiveness Report 2022, Saudi Arabia ranked third in the Global Competitiveness Report. The MoE’s total budget for the last fiscal year amounted to is 185 billion SAR, accounting for 19.4% of the sector allocations in the government budget in 2022.

Saudi Arabia advanced five places in the Human Development Index (HDI) issued by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Report 2022, and Saudi education recorded advanced results in the education sector, advancing in 16 indicators of global competitiveness in the education sector, according to IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2022.

The MoE continued its development projects and programs during this year, with the implementation and launch of 1,148 educational projects in the regions and governorates, which accommodate 706,507 students, as well as the expansion of the early childhood project and the acceptance of children in kindergarten with more than 400 thousand seats to enroll in kindergartens this year, and the introduction of 11547 new educational jobs; As the most significant number of jobs in the government sector since the pandemic.

The ministry's efforts in the field of continuing education and literacy have resulted in the reduction of the illiteracy rate to 3.7%. UNESCO has also accredited Yanbu Industrial City as an International Learning City, which makes it the second city in the Saudi Arabia after Jubail Industrial City. Besides, the number of volunteers in the education sector has reached more than 158 thousand.

The Saudi model in e-learning has received considerable international acclaim, most recently from the World Bank, as well as UNICEF's acclaim for the Gulf states. In addition, the Madrasati platform has been registered as one of the top four international models in distance education by UNESCO. Also, the Saudi students received 88 awards and medals in the Olympics and international competitions.

Developing Saudi Curricula

The MoE pays excellent attention to the curricula by building and developing them in line with the great and accelerated pace of development experienced by Saudi Arabia in all fields, in line with the modern scientific and technical developments, the development in educational sciences, and commensurate with global trends in light of the fourth industrial revolution and the skills of the first century. Moreover, it is aligned with the requirements of the Saudi Vision (2030) in "preparing educational curricula an advanced curricula that focuses on basic skills, in addition to talent development and character building".

The process of developing curricula is continuous, and recently, the MoE announced several new curricula. The development of several existing curricula in a way that achieves the goals contributes to preparing general education students for life and work and qualifies them for competition globally.

To explore the curriculum development report, click here.

General Education for Non-Saudis

Non-Saudis residing in the kingdom are eligible to enroll in the public education sector in all its stages if the following conditions are met:

Non-Saudis are accepted in government schools if teachers and classes are available, without the need to lease additional buildings. This is carried out after the registration of Saudi students has been completed. For the first semester of both the secondary and intermediate stages, admission is carried out at the beginning of the second round of examinations, after the Sudi students from the first round have successfully passed their examinations and have been granted an official spot in the school.

The selection of non-Saudis for the remaining vacant seats will be in accordance with the following priorities:

Children of government sector employees residing in Saudi Arabia registered in the previous academic year in government schools. Preference is given to non-Saudi children born in the Kingdom.

New students who are children of government sector employees transferred from private schools.

If vacant seats are within the specified percentage, children of retirees of the private sector are registered; however, priority is given to the children of government sector retirees.

The admission conditions apply to the student, meaning they must present original educational documents obtained from abroad to be accepted into the appropriate classes.

Egyptian students wishing to enroll in the secondary stage must bring the original end-of-basic education form, the original statement of grades in the Basic Education Completion Certificate Examination, or the official original transcript to demonstrate their success after approval from the Egyptian Ministry of Education stamped by the Republic's logo with confirmation by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Saudi Consulate.

Any student who has obtained an end-of-secondary school qualification or vocational major cannot repeat high school in the Kingdom.

Any student who has obtained an end-of-secondary school qualification or vocational major cannot repeat high school in Saudi Arabia.

Applicants are transferred if they do not meet these conditions for both public and private schools after the end of the first semester. Their admission to government schools is subject to these controls and procedures for priority vacancies at the beginning of each academic year. To achieve justice and equality throughout, children of Saudi women and non-Saudi fathers, children of the Gulf Cooperation Council, children displaced by tribes holding five-year cards, members of the Yemeni community, and children of diplomats who have diplomatic cards, receive the same treatment as Saudi students.

Please visit this page for more information on non-Saudi students' acceptance in the kingdom's education sector, please visit this page.

National and Foreign Education (Private Schools)

Saudi Arabia aims to provide education and training created for communities residing in the kingdom through the availability of private schooling to provide appropriate education for children within the specific controls and in a manner that achieves continuity of their education upon their return to their country of origin. The MoE is responsible for the licensing and supervision of private schools through the competent authority therein.

Each private school is responsible for organizing various aspects of work with the school, while also determining its stance in various educational and academic entities to ensure the continuity of the educational journey for residents in Saudi Arabia.

The Private and Foreign Education Department seeks to achieve the future vision of investment growth in the private sector at a level that guarantees quality and distinction in the process of education by supervising private and international schools to pursue the education provided to male and female students, both citizens and residents alike, in terms of quality and distinction and in alignment with the education policies and policies of the kingdom. The department also performs an elaborate and distinguished performance that achieves growth for the investors and helps improve the educational and training processes in the private sector, in order to bring the children enrolled in these educational institutions to a higher level of education through modern methods and techniques that attain educational goals in accordance with the Islamic and national principles and values.

A list of foreign schools for expatriates residing in the Kingdom.

Rules governing the eligibility tuition fees.

Searching for data on competency and tuition fees for private and foreign schools.

A grievance to parents about the increase in fees for private schools.

Issuing a license or renewing licenses for private schools.

For more information on educational investment services, click here.

Statistics of private education in the Kingdom.

Education for People with Disabilities

Based on the National Strategy for the Development of General Education to provide equal learning opportunities and support systems to all students, the MoE has paid special attention to the education of students with disabilities, ensuring that educational services are provided to them within a healthy environment commensurate with their health and psychological requirements, thereby contributing to the enhancement of these students' learning outcomes and overcoming all difficulties. One of the most prominent interactive services created by the ministry for this category is The Educational Map Of Special Education Institutes And Programmes In Education Departments; click here to take advantage of them.

Read about Early Care Services for Children with Disabilities in the Preschool Age, Education for People with Disabilities and Higher Education for People with Disabilities.

Distance Education and E-Learning

E-Learning Standards

The National eLearning Center adopted E-Learning standards for education and training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These E-Learning Standards include:

E-learning standards for public education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

E-learning standards for higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

E-learning standards for training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A list of licenses to provide e-learning and training programs

For more information about distance education in the Kingdom, click here.

(Distance Education guide).

National E-Learning Platform (Madrasati platform)

The MoE has provided an e-platform known as the Madrasati platform to manage and monitor the education processes in line with present and future digital requirements. The platform includes many electronic educational tools that support teaching and learning processes and contribute to achieving the educational goals of curricula and decisions.

The MoE has developed and published illustrative videos and step-by-step instructions on how to use the platform for Students, Parents, Teachers, School Leaders, Educational Supervisors and Kindergarten. The platform also includes guidelines and instruction manuals:

Guideline for Students

Guideline for Parents

Guideline for School Managers

Education Strategy Guide for Teachers

User's Manual for Teachers

Guideline for Educational Supervisors

Instruction Manual for Special Educational Institutions, Programs and Centers

For more information about distance education in the Kingdom, click here.

(distance learning guide).

Health and Safety in Schools

The MoE is concerned with raising awareness, promoting and evaluating student's health through the use of specific health indicators and monitoring these indicators periodically.

School Health

A set of concepts, principles, systems and services intended to promote student health at an early age, thus raising the level of public health by using health skills. Additionally, it engages communication channels and media to spread health awareness both directly and indirectly throughout the general community. This has led the MoE to work in cooperation with the Ministry of Health on various programs, including the following:

Regular visits to the surrounding environment and school cafeteria

Dealing with infectious cases in schools

Procedures for dealing with emergencies in schools

Education on the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 Pandemic and Education

The MoE believes in the necessity of adhering to the preventive measures recommended by the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without neglecting the completion of the educational process, taking the initiative to move to the stage of e-learning and distance education by enforcing a secure plan to come up with the educational goals for all members of the educational process including students, teachers, parents, school leaders and educational supervisors.

School Evaluation

Education and Training Evaluation Commission "ETEC", in cooperation with the MoE, launched a Tarteeb Index that ranks the offices and departments of education and schools according to their students' grades per norm-referenced tests issued by the commission.

Tarteeb Index:

It is an index that provides ranking maintained by the ETEC in cooperation with the MoE which offers ranks for the departments of education, education offices, and schools according to the average grade of their students per norm-referenced tests issued by the Commission.

The index aims to stimulate competition between education departments, offices, and schools to improve the output and students' performance in these tests. Besides, it helps students and their parents determine the best schools that suit their abilities.

The Tarteeb Index aims to create competition between educational departments, offices, and schools toward improving the quality of public education and improving the level of educational achievement of students. The Index also aims to provide information on the performance of various students to the leaders and supervisors of the public education sector. It also helps students to determine the best schools that suit their abilities.

The index provides "advanced search" within the category of education offices, departments, and at the national level for both boys and girls' schools, in addition to the searching service on the Kingdom map, searching for a particular school or choosing it directly from the map. The index covers university admission exams (General Aptitude Test & General Abilities and Scholastic Achievement Admission Test) for secondary schools.

Explore more here.

Noor system And key learning services

Saudi Arabia has taken a quantum leap in its education technology and digital solutions. The successful milestones for Saudi Arabia in this field are massive history shaped by hitting record-breaking to rise above the challenges. Saudi Arabia has developed a blueprint to transform these milestones into sustainable practices. These practices will let Saudi Arabia take shape to play an active role in educational technology. Noor system will facilitate and automate most education processes and create fast solutions for Noor's users, along with breaking down the lengthy procedures for students. The "Noor" system is a game changer in the Saudi educational process that reflects how much Saudis prioritize the importance of technology in all the educational processes and seek optimal usage of this feature.

"Noor" Overview:

The Noor system aims to transfer and profitably reform the educational process from its traditional environment to the new digital environment profitably. the e-learning ecosystem for all educational users, including directors of departments, schools, teachers, students, administrators, and other users; each has features according to their role, enabling them to perform them quickly and directly. The Noor system also allows schools to insert students' grades electronically across different regions and governorates in addition to Saudi schools abroad.

It is also an integrated learning system that links all educational institutions under the Ministry through an integrated database. Noor also provides all Saudi students and parents with all services for the registration and follow-up of the educational status of children with no charge to facilitate the procedures in the children's registration and transfer from the traditional way that leads to transfer to e-government and align with the new tech. Besides keeping the expectation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud will facilitate all services for citizens and achieve the Kingdom's Vision 2030, by developin e-government services.

The Objective of The "Noor" system:

Noor is a central system that provides electronic enrolment for first-grade students that enables school administrators, test management and admissions staff in the Education Department, and parents to easily register students through an automated, integrated system. Accordingly, the information and registration process, which is inserted by the Director of the Test Department, admission, and authorized persons, will validate the enrolment process so that parents, school managers and others submit and send students' electronic enrolment requests to the various primary schools, whether applied to government or the Islamic schools, in which accordingly the administrators of these schools then submit and accept or reject the applications.

"Noor" System Feature:

Accordingly, the information and registration process, which is inserted by the Director of the Test Department, admission, and authorized persons, will validate the enrolment process so that parents, school managers and others submit and send students' electronic enrolment requests to the various primary schools, whether applied to Government or the Islamic schools, in which accordingly the administrators of these schools then submit and accept or reject the applications.

Student Schedule

Exams Schedule:

This service allows students to view their test schedule and know the time, start and end of each.

Steps to benefit from the service:

Visit the Noor portal

Click on "Test Schedule"

Enter the required details for the semester to know

The page will display the test materials and details, and through this page, you can search for certain tests by entering them in the search filters and then clicking on "Search." You can also print the table by clicking "To view a printable page, click here."

School Schedule:

This webpage lets you view the selected student's study schedule for the school class dates.

Steps to benefit from the service:

Access to Noor System

Click on the "School Schedule".

The page shows the student's weekly schedule, the teacher's name and any information regarding subject times and others. Any changes to the table will also be reflected directly on this page.

Print a certificate:

This service allows you to issue certificates indicating government school results.

How to apply for this service

Reports.

The degree statements.

Student score notification.

Click here for more

University and Higher Education

Bachelor's Degree Stage: The ability to obtain a bachelor's degree is offered by public universities, free of charge to citizens, regular students and external scholarship students, where a monthly income is given throughout the academic period. To access the unified admission portal, click here. Private universities also offer this in various programs.

Masters and PhD stages.

University Low.

Service: Admission to Saudi Public Universities

A service provided by the MoE aiming to verify the acceptance of all students in all institutions of higher education and training to be used as a reference in preventing duplicate admissions of students in more than one educational institution to assist educational intuitions to invest in thin investing made available to them optimally.

Click here for more info about admission services at universities in the Kingdom

Conditions for Admission to Saudi Universities

Obtaining a high school diploma for a period not exceeding five years.

Passing aptitude tests per the requirements of the major of interest or college. To register for exams, visit the Education Evaluation Commission website.

Qiyas tests / Benchmark tests

General Aptitude Test (GAT): is a test for high school graduates who intend to continue their studies in higher education institutions. The test measures a number of abilities associated with the learning process, such as the analytical abilities and evidentiary abilities of students. The test is broken down into two parts, one is a verbal exam (linguistics) and the other is a quantitative exam (mathematics).

Academic Achievement Test: is a standardized measure for all secondary school graduates, allowing a fair and accurate criterion for all, which aids the post-secondary educational authorities to select the students who have exceedingly achieved the most in their secondary school curricula.

Post-Graduate General Aptitude Test (PGAT): requires students to possess mental capabilities that enable the student to pass the requirements of the academic course regardless of the major. This is a standardized measure to ensure a fair and accurate standard for all university students, thus helping the educational authorities with post-graduate programs choose the students with the most mental abilities to follow-up and meet the educational requirements in those specified areas.

Technical and Vocational Training

Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) offers several training programs in its training facilities, as well as in strategic partnerships institutes and international technical colleges. In addition to provide training programs in private training facilites, and flexible community support programs. The total number of TVTC facilities reaches 260, covering all parts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Training Units

Colleges of Technology: Technical colleges qualify students at high school or their equivalent to obtain an intermediate university degree (sixth level of the National Qualifications Framework). These colleges also offer some applied bachelor programs (seventh level of the National Qualifications Framework) to qualify trainees as technical engineers.

International Colleges of Technology: Governmental technical colleges provide training through international operators. These colleges offer diplomas in two years, preceded by intensive English courses. Bachelor of Applied Engineering Program is taking place in the Technical Trainers College

Institutes of strategic partnerships: Non-profit technical training institutes that the TVTC adopts to establish, license, supervise, and operate with the private sector. It offers holders of high school or equivalent technical training programs in a period by employing beginner training.

Industrial institutes and secondary institutes of architecture and construction: Secondary training institutes qualify middle school graduates and first and second secondary grades to obtain a diploma of industrial institutes, architecture and construction. The training period is (3) years. These institutes also offer various evening training programs available to all members of the society.

Vocational training institutes in prisons: TVTC established Institutes in cooperation with the General Directorate of Prisons for inmates in prisons and care homes for girls during their sentence, to train and qualify them in specialized professional programs and courses. The graduate is granted a certificate from the Industrial Institute in the region without indicating that he obtained the qualification in prison.

Private Training Centers

TVTC also licenses and supervises nearly 1011 private training units. They are non-governmental training institutes and centers established by the private sector to provide training, and technical and professional programs.

You can access this page to view the program details, admission and registration requirements, you can access this page.

Regulations for the Establishment of Non-Profit Training Units in the Field of Technical and Vocational Training.

Service: Apply for a training and Vocational Training Corporation.

Service: Applying to the TVTC

Service: Registration in the unified admission portal for the International Colleges program.

Service: Inquire about available training units and divisions.

Service: Career Tendencies and Abilities Determination

Scholarships

For Saudi Students

Abroad Scholarship

Saudi Arabia provides an opportunity for individuals wishing to continue their education outside the kingdom in accordance with the needs of the labor market and the requirements and developments of Saudi Arabia through the scholarship's programs offered by the MoE. The scholarship agency at the MoE is actively preparing and qualifying Saudi human resources with the aim of becoming a competitor in the labor market and scientific fields of research both locally and globally, acting as an essential branch in supporting Saudi universities in the public and private sectors with a variety of distinguished competencies.

The Program of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Foreign Scholarships

Saudi Arabia launched the Program of the Custodian of the Two Holy for Foreign Scholarships in 1426 AH / 2005 AD to prepare prominent generations in a society based on knowledge and economy. The program consisted of three phases, each lasting 5 years. The third phase included the creation of new paths, such as leading universities, medical facilities, international scholarships and excellence. New specializations have also been created in consistency with the kingdom's Vision 2030, such as, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, air transport, and health specialties.

Safeer Platform

The Safeer Platform provides smart solutions and distinguished services, which contribute to facilitating procedures to study abroad based on the best practices and international standards, in compliance with scholarship regulations and legislations by the MoE.

Service: Apply for a scholarship through the Program of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Foreign Scholarships.

Service: Request approval of post-graduate studies abroad through means of personal account.

Service: Request a change of university for students studying abroad.

Internal Scholarships

The internal scholarship program is for regular students in private universities and colleges. If the ministry approves the grant request, the ministry will pay the approved tuition fees based on each specialization accredited per semester to ensure that the number of years does not exceed the allocated years of the official grant according to the academic plan for each specialization. The scholarship will continue for students if the terms and conditions are maintained.

Note: The minimum average is 2.75 / 5 and 1.75 / 4.

Service: Request for an internal grant for students of private universities and colleges

Service: Apply for Internal Government Scholarship for Saudis

For Non-Saudi Students

Non-Saudi students can apply for scholarships in public universities by visiting the website of the university of interest or by visiting this page

Service: Request a government scholarship for non-Saudis.

Leave Days and Official Holidays

The official holidays of the Kingdom related to the education sector include the following:

Weekend – Thursday and Friday.

Eid Holidays – Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha.

Mid-term Vacation.

End of School Year Leave (Summer Vacation).

National Day Holiday.

You can also view the academic calendar on the MoE’s website for numerous academic years.

Illiteracy and Adult Education

Saudi Arabia is concerned and dedicated to combating illiteracy through adult education. This form of education is supported technically, financially, and administratively to increase the national level of knowledge and spread of culture among the members of society. A time plan is presented by the competent educational authorities to accommodate the illiterate and eradicate illiteracy in general. The relevant ministries and departments will carry out this implementation. The MoE has previously created a clear and concise roadmap to tackle illiteracy in various regions and governorates throughout the Kingdom, contributing to reducing the illiteracy rate, and plummeting it to 5.6%.

The Adult Education system and literacy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Learner Program

The Neighborhood Education

Program is an educational and training program implemented for a full academic year. It is concerned with the literacy levels of the trainee, alphabetically and culturally, with the achievement of scientific skills that contribute to pushing productivity of work and raising awareness on the society's culture and efforts, positive interactions with the community, and contributing factors to development.

The program targets adults, both male and female, aged 15 and above,, who do not read or write. It also targets adults of both genders, between the ages of 15 – 60, who hold an academic qualification below the university level.

Initiatives and Efforts in The Educational Aspect

Notability of Talented People

Saudi Arabia sponsors talented people. It provides them with special care to develop and enhance their talents, offering them an opportunity in the field of their particular genius. The relevant authorities set out the means for their discovery, educational programs, and the advantages that will encourage them, such as the Mawhiba program offered by King Abdul-Aziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity. It provides talented people with the means of scientific research to benefit from their capabilities.

Lifelong Learning Initiative (Estidama)

Estidama is a development initiative working to provide those in need with the necessary life skills to enhance the values of lifelong learning. Additionally, it empowers the youth of both genders through various educational and training opportunities.

University Exchange Program

The University Exchange Program provides a desire to enhance international cooperation in the field of higher education to develop capabilities, gain knowledge, exchange benefits and strengthen international relations between universities, where innovative programs available in other countries are taken advantage of.

Saudi Digital Library

The Saudi Digital Library is a massive advanced digital library that includes a variety of specializations that support educational processes and meet the needs of beneficiaries in higher education institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The library contains more than 680,000 e-books dedicated to various fields.

Research Centers

Scientific research is one of the most essential elements of interest of the kingdom. It aims to transfer the national economy's dependence on oil to a more knowledge-based economy. The kingdom has invested great attention to research and innovation. It has set goals that it aims to achieve by the year 2030, including being among the top 10 countries in the Global Competitiveness Index. Saudi Arabia is home to substantial scientific institutions such as the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy and other efficient Saudi research institutions. Moreover, most universities in Saudi Arabia have established scientific and technical research centers dedicated to many sectors of interest.

Educational Programs in Prisons

Saudi Arabia is aware of the importance of education and its role in reform and evaluation and the interest of prison system inmates to continue their studies. Article (18) of the prison and detention system states that the Ministry of Interior, in agreement with the competent authorities responsible for education and awareness, has developed curricula for education and classification in prisons and detention centers, and the executive regulations define the rules and procedures for carrying out examinations for prisoners and detainees in various stages.

The education department in each region nominates a number of qualified workers with the relevant competence and long-term experience in the following areas including reform education, psychology, social services and social sciences, and they carefully choose to organize seminars and lectures for prison inmates in each region in relation to various religious, health psychological and social sciences. The Department of Student Orientation and Guidance in the Department of Education coordinates with prisons in the region, preparing a general plan that includes the programs and topics for the seminars and lectures, and a timetable for their implementation and supervision.