Saudi schools reopen in two phases as Kingdom welcomes over 6 million students

The revised schedule was designed to accommodate the Hajj season

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Pupils in 12 education directorates resumed classes today after a two-month summer break.
Pupils in 12 education directorates resumed classes today after a two-month summer break.
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Dubai: Classes in public schools across 11 regions of Saudi Arabia resumed on Sunday, marking the start of the 2025–2026 academic year for more than six million students. Schools in Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, and Taif will follow a week later, beginning on August 31.

For the first time in the Kingdom’s history, students in general education are returning in two phases. Pupils in 12 education directorates resumed classes today after a two-month summer break, while students in the four remaining regions will return next week under a new four-year academic calendar. The revised schedule was designed to accommodate the Hajj season and ease the heavy traffic that accompanies the influx of pilgrims.

The Ministry of Education confirmed it had finalised preparations to ensure a smooth start to the school year. Efforts focused on creating a safe, supportive learning environment that fosters discipline, diligence, and national values—core goals aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 to build a promising and competitive generation.

Among the initiatives, the ministry delivered 75 new construction projects worth 920 million riyals, carried out comprehensive maintenance on more than 15,000 school buildings and 884,000 air-conditioning units at a cost of over 2 billion riyals, and renovated more than 1,400 facilities valued at 782 million riyals. Schoolbooks have been distributed nationwide, cleaning and maintenance completed, and training programmes finalised for teachers and administrators. Digital learning initiatives and other technology-driven programmes have also been launched.

Regional authorities reported readiness across the Kingdom. In Riyadh, 2.84 million students are enrolled in 6,873 schools; more than 700,000 students have returned in the Eastern Province; and 320,000 in Qassim are beginning classes under the supervision of 35,000 teachers. In Asir, more than 525,000 students are starting the year in 3,430 schools, while Tabuk’s 1,209 schools will welcome around 211,000 students.

Elsewhere, more than 100,000 students in the Northern Borders region will attend 426 schools, 180,000 in Hail will return to 1,300 schools, 168,000 in Al Jouf will study in 937 schools, and 351,000 in Jazan will resume classes across 2,556 schools.

The ministry stressed that the scale of its preparations and the staggered return reflect its commitment to a disciplined start to the school year—an approach aimed at improving performance, enhancing learning outcomes, and supporting the Kingdom’s broader development ambitions under Vision 2030.

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