An Introduction

At the time the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932, education was not accessible to everyone and limited to individualized instruction at religious schools in mosques in urban areas. These schools taught Islamic law and basic literacy skills. By the end of the century, Saudi Arabia had a nationwide educational system providing free training from preschool through university to all citizens. While the study of Islam remains at its core, the modern Saudi educational system provides quality instruction in diverse fields of modern and traditional arts and sciences. This diversity helps meet the Kingdom's growing need for highly-educated citizens to build on its rapid progress.

Formal primary education began in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s. By 1945, King Abdulaziz bin Abdelrahman Al-Saud, the country's founder, had initiated an extensive program to establish schools in the Kingdom. Six years later, in 1951, the country had 226 schools with 29,887 students. In 1954, the Ministry of Education was established, headed by then Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz as the first Minister of Education. The first university, now known as King Saud University, was founded in Riyadh in 1957.

Today, Saudi Arabia's nationwide public educational system comprises eight universities, more than 24,000 schools, and a large number of colleges and other educational and training institutions. Open to every citizen, the system provides students with free education, books and health services. A measure of the government's substantial commitment to this sector is the allocation of over 25 percent of the annual State budget for education including vocational training.

Saudi Arabia prizes education because of its critical importance in developing the country's human potential, and in the 21st century private education facilities are opening all over the Kingdom. As the leader of his nation, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz has often stressed how the young people of Saudi Arabia are the country's most valuable resource. Education is a central aspect of family and community life. Parents are deeply involved in their children's education, and the close links between home and school serve to reinforce the structure of the community and the nation.