Saudi Media And Education Ministers Highlight National Milestones And Educational Advancements For The Upcoming Academic Year

Saudi Arabia is making strides towards its Vision 2030, as highlighted by Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary and Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan during a recent press conference. The ministers discussed the Kingdom's progress in various sectors, including education, industry, and healthcare, emphasising ongoing transformations and future ambitions.

Minister Yousef Al-Benyan outlined significant changes in the education sector for the 1447 AH academic year. He stressed the importance of empowering schools and creating a flexible learning environment. The ministry has introduced new curricula in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity while updating over 6,700 digital content pieces. Additionally, more than 520,000 training opportunities have been provided for teachers.

The education ministry has also invested SAR920 million in new construction projects and SAR2 billion on maintenance for over 15,000 schools. Enrollment for children aged three to six has increased to over 36%, with a 10% rise in identified gifted students to over 28,000. New specialized schools for technical, sports, and arts education have been launched.

Salman Al-Dossary highlighted Saudi Arabia's economic growth driven by its diversified economy and national vision. The non-profit sector has expanded significantly with a 252% increase in organisations since July 2025. The industrial sector remains crucial, with factory numbers rising from 7,200 to 12,480 by mid-2025. Industrial investments grew from SAR955 billion to SAR1.2 trillion.

The "Made in Saudi" program has facilitated over 3,000 export opportunities across 74 countries. Non-oil exports surged from SAR178 billion to SAR607 billion, reaching more than 180 countries worldwide. By mid-2025, the Saudi Industrial Development Fund approved loans totaling SAR4.5 billion.

Healthcare Achievements

The health sector plays a vital role in Vision 2030's success. Jeddah was recognised as the first healthy city in the Middle East by the World Health Organization. King Faisal Specialist Hospital's research on robotic liver transplantation gained recognition from the American Society of Transplantation. Seven Saudi hospitals were listed among the top 250 hospitals worldwide for 2025 by Brand Finance.

Cultural Initiatives and Housing Sector

Al-Dossary noted nearly 1,000 non-profit cultural organisations have been established under the Kingdom's cultural movement. By late 2024, over 9,200 cultural licenses were issued through the Ministry of Culture's Abde'a platform. In housing, HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is addressing price increases with clear directives and an additional 90-day extension for market balance.

Mining Sector Progress

The mining sector has seen substantial progress as well. Saudi Arabia moved from 104th to 23rd on Fraser Institute’s Investment Attractiveness Index by mid-2025. The estimated value of mineral wealth doubled from SAR4.9 trillion to SAR9.4 trillion during this period.

Higher Education Developments

In higher education, Saudi universities improved their global rankings significantly. Twelve universities are now listed in the Shanghai Ranking and thirty-two in Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Since 2022, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program sent over 3,388 students to top universities worldwide.

The Ministry of Education launched a national unified admissions platform offering over 339,000 admission opportunities alongside a unified support portal enhancing services for students and staff.

Private Sector Engagement

The ministry focuses on private investment through incentives providing over five hundred opportunities this year alone. The Madares platform was created to streamline private school services while launching one hundred twenty new schools under public-private partnerships.

The non-profit sector exceeded its volunteer work target with over one million volunteers participating nationwide activities like serving pilgrims during Hajj alongside international initiatives such as Messengers of Peace receiving $50 million support from Saudi Arabia.

"The Kingdom aims not just at competition but leaving unique marks globally," said Al-Dossary regarding strategic changes addressing global competition within media scholarship initiatives collaborating between ministries preparing students entering media job markets globally renowned institutions companies alike ensuring excellence sustainability core elements ambitious vision forward-looking approach future generations benefit greatly these efforts today tomorrow beyond borders alike."

With inputs from SPA