Saudi Arabia's new general education law signals major reform for the K-12 and early years sector

The law establishes a comprehensive governance framework for all pre-university education, covering nurseries, kindergartens, schools, special education providers and foreign and private education institutions. It also creates a new General Education Council to oversee policy, regulation and strategic direction across the sector.

The reform is closely aligned with Vision 2030 and is intended to raise education quality, encourage greater private sector participation, strengthen early childhood education, improve support for students with disabilities and gifted learners, and create a more consistent and transparent regulatory environment.

The new General Education Law is far more than a regulatory update. It introduces a new governance model for the entire K-12 sector and signals the Kingdom's intention to create a more structured, accountable and investment friendly education market.

The main changes introduced by the new law

The new law provides for:

• Creation of the General Education Council chaired by the minister of education, with responsibility for approving education policies, strategies and regulations;
• New regulation of early years education, including nurseries and kindergartens;
• New powers to regulate private and foreign schools and approve sector wide rules;
• Authority to establish minimum teacher salary requirements in private schools;
• Approval of a standard teacher employment contract;
• Approval and oversight of international curricula;
• Greater focus on inclusion, students with disabilities and gifted education;
• Continued oversight of tuition fees and school operations;
• Expanded enforcement powers, including warnings, fines, suspension of student admissions and licence revocation.

A number of previous education laws and regulations have been repealed. These include:

• The General Education Policy in the Kingdom issued under Council of Ministers Resolution No. 779 dated 16/9/1389H;
• Regulations governing the establishment of general education schools issued under Resolution No. 557 dated 26/10/1439H;
• Private Schools Regulations issued under Resolution No. 1006 dated 13/8/1395H;
• Foreign Schools Regulations issued under Resolution No. 26 dated 2/4/1418H;
• Rules regarding appointment of private school principals issued under Resolution No. 175 dated 15/6/1422H;
• Regulations governing Quran memorisation summer schools issued under Resolutions No. 245 and 49;
• Model governance arrangements relating to Al-Thigr Model Schools in Jeddah issued under Resolution No. 238 dated 13/5/1439H.

What this means for existing schools

Existing schools should begin reviewing governance structures, curriculum approvals, licensing arrangements, teacher employment models, fee approval processes, local content requirements and special educational needs provision. New implementing regulations are expected and schools that engage early are likely to be better positioned for compliance and future growth.

What this means for new entrants and investors

The law expressly encourages private, non-profit and foreign participation in education. For international school groups and education investors, the reforms should provide greater regulatory clarity around licensing, curriculum approvals and operational requirements, whilst maintaining robust Ministry oversight.

Growth areas

Areas expected to attract particular interest include early childhood education, kindergarten provision, special educational needs services, gifted and talented education programmes, international curriculum schools and specialist educational institutions.

Looking ahead

The law comes into force 180 days after publication in the Official Gazette, so approximately 20 January 2027, with detailed implementing regulations expected to follow. The changes establish the foundations for a more centralised, standards-driven and investment-oriented education system and are likely to have significant implications for both current schools on the ground in the Kingdom, new school entrants as well as school operators.