Saudi Arabia Announces Three-Term School Year And 8-Week Summer Vacation

The Saudi Cabinet has approved the general timeframe for the academic calendar in public education higher education, and technical and vocational training for the next five years, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The ministry will decide whether to use two or three academic terms for the remaining four years at the end of each academic year. However, they will maintain a minimum of 180 instructional days.

The upcoming academic year will allocate 8 weeks for summer vacation. The first term will start on Sunday, August 18, 2024. The second term will begin on Sunday, November 17, 2024. The third term will commence on Sunday, March 2, 2025, ending on Thursday, June 26, 2025.

Vacation Schedule

The vacations for the upcoming academic year include National Day vacation, long weekends, autumn break, mid-year break, Foundation Day break, winter break, Eid Al-Fitr break, another long weekend, and Eid Al Adha break.

The regulations governing the academic calendar authorize government and private universities, the General Organization for Technical and Vocational Training, foreign and private schools, Saudi schools abroad, and community schools to develop their academic calendar according to guidelines set by the Ministry of Education. They must maintain the approved timeframe for the five academic years.

This approach positively impacts the educational process by ensuring consistency across various educational institutions.

The Saudi Ministry of Education's decision to continue with a three-term system aims to provide flexibility while maintaining a structured educational framework. This decision allows institutions to adapt their schedules within a defined structure.