Public education in Saudi Arabia—from primary education through college—is open to every Saudi citizen. Education is the second-largest sector of government spending in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia spends 8.8% of its gross domestic product on education, which is nearly double the global average of 4.6%. Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country and therefore Islam is interwoven in every part of society, also in education. Islamic studies are part of the education system alongside scientific and social studies that vary from one educational institution to another. Important goals of education in Saudi Arabia are to teach the students the economic, religious and social norms of the country. They also want to reduce the high illiteracy. The education system consists of 3 levels: primary education, intermediate education and secondary education.
In 1926 the Department of Education was established and in 1957 the first university. Before the King Saud University was founded, a number of Saudi Arabians went abroad to attend university. In 1955 the first school for girls was established. Saudi Arabia has special institutions for students with severe disabilities and autism.
Background The first forms of education in Saudi Arabia can be traced back to the time when the message of Islam was revealed and spread. Education is important in Islam, because Islam obligates both men and women to learn and gain knowledge. Schools were established, first by wealthy Muslims and later by the Ottomans. These schools were called 'Kuttabs' (كُتَّاب) and were often connected to the mosque. Most of the time the imam of the mosque was also the teacher of the school, he taught the children how to read and write and recite Quran. During the 17th century education became more important, but all education was still mostly Islamic education.
In 1926 the country's first Department of Education was established by king Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud. Through his reforms the number of schools and kuttabs started growing as well as the number of students that were enrolled. In 1951 this number had risen to 29,887 students and 226 schools. In 1957 the King Saud University was established, this was the first university in the country. In 1964 the first government school for girls was established.
The goal of the education system is to both reduce the illiteracy, as well as to educate the students on the social, economic and Islamic norms. Saudi education is noted for its religious content. As of 2016, religious studies averaged a total of nine periods a week at the primary school level, compared to an average about 23 periods a week total for mathematics, science (physics, chemistry, biology and geology), social studies, Arabic language, English language and physical education. At the university level, nearly two-thirds of graduates are women.
The education system was in the 1980s and 1990s criticized for "poorly trained teachers, low retention rates, lack of rigorous standards, weak scientific and technical instruction", despite generous budgets, that have compelled the kingdom to depend on large numbers of expatriates workers to fill technical and administrative positions. Cultural theology has also historically held influence over women's education in Saudi Arabia. In 2019, however, the Saudi embassy in the U.S. noted that "While the study of Islam remains at its core, the modern Saudi educational system also provides quality instruction in diverse fields of arts and sciences."
Education management system
Education is free for all students at all levels. The education system in Saudi Arabia is primarily under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC). Other authorities such as the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, the Presidency of the National Guard, and the Ministry of the Interior provide their affiliates and children with education at all levels, consistent with Ministry of Education guidelines. The highest authority that supervises education in Saudi Arabia is the Supreme Committee for Educational Policy, established in 1963.
According to the World Bank database, public spending on education was 5.1 percent of GDP in 2006, and public spending on education as a percentage of government expenditure was 27.6 percent in 2004. Education spending as a percentage of overall spending tripled from 1970 to 2000, and neither economic growth nor the price of oil had much impact on this trend.
The Ministry of Education developed The Ministry of Education Ten–Year Plan 1425–1435 Hijri,This figure is based on the Islamic calendar, the Gregorian calendar equivalent is 2004–2014. which set the following goals: The education of 4- to 6-year-old children and the consideration of kindergarten as an independent stage as compared with other educational stages in terms of its buildings and syllabi Accommodation of all age categories from 6 to 18 years old at various stages of education Deepening the spirit of loyalty and pride of the country through intellectual awareness of Saudi Arabia's national issues Preparing students academically and culturally at the local and international levels to be able to achieve advanced international posts in the fields of mathematics and science for various age categories, taking into account International tests' standards Organization of girls' technical education Development of an educational system for students with special needs Development and growth of educational and administrative training for the Ministry's personnel Improvement of internal and external sufficiency for the educational system Development of syllabi based on Islamic values leading to the development of male and female students' personality and to their integration in society as well as to the achievement of scientific and thinking skills and life characteristics resulting in self-education and lifelong learning To improve the quality of male and female teachers and to increase the citizens' rate in the education sector to achieve the full use of Saudi human resources To develop the educational structure and to update the school map to meet the expected quantitative and qualitative changes in the next stage To develop the infrastructure of information and communication technology and its employment in education and learning To develop male and female adults' education and to eradicate illiteracy The Ministry's comprehensive administrative development Expansion of social participation in education To establish integrated systems for accountability
Pre-primary education
In Saudi Arabia, children aged 3–5 years go to kindergarten. However, attendance of kindergartens is not a prerequisite for enrollment of first grade of primary education and kindergartens are not part of the official education ladder. Some private numbers have been established with technical and financial first aid-kit from the government. According to government data, 3,657,283 students were enrolled in pre-primary education in 2022. The gross enrollment percentage was 10.8%, for boys 11.1% for girls and 10.4% in total.
Primary education Primary education is compulsory for all children in Saudi-Arabia. Primary education lasts 6 years, from the age of 6 until 12. The curriculum consists of Arabic, Islamic education, mathematics, science and art. In 2021 the ministry of education introduced a new rule that required schools to start teaching English from first grade onwards as well. The goal of this requirement is to improve the education outcomes. In 2018, 9% of the students were enrolled in a private school.
Intermediate and secondary education Intermediate education in Saudi Arabia lasts three years. According to government data, 1,144,548 students (609,300 male and 535,248 female) were in intermediate education in 2007 and the number of teachers totaled 108,065 (54,034 male and 54,031 female) in 2007. According to gross enrollment the total rate was 95.9 percent in 2007.
Secondary education in Saudi Arabia also lasts three years and is the final stage of general education. After the intermediate education, students have the opportunity for both general and specialized secondary education. Technical secondary institute which provide technical and vocational education and training programs lasts three years in the fields of industry, commerce and agriculture.
According to the educational plan for secondary (high school) education 1435–1438 Hijri, students enrolling in the "natural sciences" path are required to take five religion subjects which are tawhid, fiqh, tafsir, hadith and Islamic education and Quran. However, in 2021 the Saudi Ministry of Education merged the multiple Islamic subjects into one single book as part of a series of reforms to revamp the school education system. In addition, students are required to take six science subjects which are mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geology and computer science.
According to government data, 1,013,074 students (541,849 male and 471,225 female) were in secondary education in 2007 and the number of teachers totaled 87,823 (41,108 male and 46,715 female) in 2007.
As of 2007, gross enrollment rates were 91.8% in secondary education.
Post-secondary/higher education
The first university was established in 1957. This was the King Saud University. This was also the first university in all the Arab states of the Arabian Gulf. There were only twenty-one students enrolled. But twenty-five years later, in 1982, Saudi Arabia already had seven universities with 63,563 students enrolled. Today investment in higher education has outstripped the western world in some cases.
Higher education in Saudi Arabia lasts four years in the field of humanities and social sciences, and five to six years in the field of medicine, engineering and pharmacy.
There are 24 government universities in Saudi Arabia, established in a short span of time. Among them, Taibah University, Qassim University and Taif University were established under the Seventh Development Plan. The universities consists of colleges and departments that offer diplomas, and bachelor's, master's and PhD degrees in various scientific and humanities specializations. Some colleges and departments also provide distance learning. There also exist private colleges, community colleges affiliated to universities, and girls colleges, in addition to government agencies and institutions that provide specialist university-level education.
According to a World Bank report, more than 70 percent of the students in Saudi Arabia are in the fields of humanities and social sciences, a figure similar to that of other Arab countries, like Djibouti, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and West Bank and Gaza.
According to government data, a total of 636,245 (268,080 male and 368,165 female) students were enrolled in higher education in 2006. Among them, 528,146 students (187,489 male and 340,657 female) were in Bachelor programs, 9,768 students (5,551 male and 4,217 female) were in Master programs, and 2,410 students (1,293 male and 1,117 female) were in Ph.D. programs. Another 93,968 students (72,199 male and 21,769 female) were in Intermediate Diploma courses and 1,953 students (1,548 male and 405 female) were in Higher Diploma course. According to the World Bank, in 2006 the gross enrollment ratio for females was 36.1 percent, the gross enrollment ratio for males was 24.7 percent, and the total gross enrollment ratio was 30.2 percent.
Saudi Arabia continues to play a central role in the regional higher education, with several universities ranked among the Arab world’s top institutions, like King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, King Saud University, King Abdulaziz University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, King Khalid University.