Pakistan International School Jeddah – English Section

Saudi Studies (Y9) Notes # 5

The Main Features of the Education System in Saudi Arabia

 When the Kingdom was established in 1932, education

was available to very few people, mostly the children of
wealthy families living in the major cities.
 Today, Saudi Arabia’s education system includes over
fifty public and private universities, some 30,000 schools;
and a large number of colleges and other institutions.
 The study of Islam remains at its core, the modern Saudi
educational system also provides quality instruction in
diverse fields of arts and sciences. This diversity helps the
Kingdom prepare its citizens for life and work in a global
economy.
 Formal primary education began in Saudi Arabia in the
1930s. By 1945, King Abdul-Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al-Saud, the country’s founder,
had begun an extensive program to establish schools in the Kingdom. Six years later, in
1951, the country had 226 schools with 29,887 students.
 The first university, now known as King Saud University, was founded in Riyadh in
1957. In 1954, the Ministry of Education was established, followed by the Ministry of
Higher Education in 1975.
 The first government school for girls was built in 1964, and by the end of the 1990s,
girls’ schools had been established in every part of the Kingdom. Today, female students
make up over half of the more than 6 million students currently enrolled in Saudi schools
and universities.
 Saudi Arabia has also established a number of educational institutions throughout the
world for Saudi students living abroad. The three largest such institutions are located in
the United States, Britain and Germany. These schools accommodate students from
kindergarten through year 12 grade, and provide instructions in Islam, Arabic language
as well as arts and sciences.
  Saudi Arabia began focusing on higher education when the
country entered a new era of rapid development in the early
1970s.

 Saudi students also have the opportunity to pursue

specialized graduate and postgraduate degrees abroad,
supported by government scholarships.
 The oldest university in the country is King Saud
University in Riyadh, founded in 1957, has 65,000 students
pursuing degrees at the faculties of art, science, commerce,
engineering, agriculture, medicine, dentistry, nursing,
education, computer science and information science. The
university offers doctorate programs in many fields and is
particularly known for its engineering and medical schools.
 The renowned University in Saudi Arabia are:

1. King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah

2. The Islamic University in Madinah
3. Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah
4. Imam Muhammad bin Saud University in Riyadh
5. King Faisal University in the Eastern Province
6. King Fahd University in Dhahran
7. Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh
 Special & Adult Education

 The Special Education Department of the Ministry of

Education operates schools for the blind, deaf and the
physically disabled.
 The Kingdom has also established a large number of adult
education centers in order to make education available to
everyone and to eliminate illiteracy.

Training in Saudi Arabia

 Technical and administrative training is an essential part of

education in the Kingdom.
 There are numerous public and private training institutions
that produce thousands of graduates in the technical and
mechanical sciences, health care, agriculture, teaching and
other areas every year.
 These institutions include the Royal Technical Institute in
Riyadh, the Hofuf Technical Training School, and centers
in Jeddah, Madinah, Abha, Taif, Unayzah, Dammam and
other cities.
 They train thousands of young Saudis in a variety of fields, including machine tooling,
metalworking, electro mechanics, auto mechanics, electronics and maintenance of
industrial machinery.
 Another important institution is the Institute for Public Administration in Riyadh.
Established in 1961, the institute offers courses in administration, law, accounting,
computer science, maintenance, secretarial skills and. management planning.
 Today, the institute has branches in Dammam and Jeddah, as well as a special branch for
women in Riyadh.

 Most of the Kingdom’s vocational training centers and higher institutes of technical
education are operated by the General Organization for Technical Education and

 Vocational Training, along with the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Social
Affairs.
King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP)

 King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP), launched in

2005, funds over 130,000 young Saudis to undertake
tertiary studies abroad.
The goals of KASP are:
 (KASP) provides great opportunities for Saudi students to
join the best international universities and pursue studies
that lead to bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees, as
well as medical fellowships.
 Academic disciplines and scholarships are selected based
on the needs of ministries, governmental organizations and
private sector corporations. This selection aims to meet the
demands of labor market in Saudi Arabia by creating a
highly qualified and skilled workforce.

 The prime objective of KASP is to qualify Saudi youth so

that they can effectively contribute to the national development across all fields and
exchanging scientific, educational and cultural experiences with various countries across
the world.

Academic Scholarships in Saudi Arabia for Non-Saudi Students

 The Saudi government offers scholarships for non-Saudi students to study at Saudi
universities for any available discipline apart from health fields. Applicants can apply
through the universities’ websites and must attach copies of their qualifications attested
by The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ( DFAT ) and the Saudi Arabian
Cultural Mission with a copy of their passport.
 Eligible non-Saudi students must hold a valid Saudi residency permit.
 There are three categories of Saudi scholarships:
•Full scholarships: students get all the benefits.
• Partial scholarships: students get some of the benefits.
• Paid scholarships: scholarships paid by donors, not educational institutions.