ع
The Saudi Press Agency reported that educational departments in Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah and Taif welcomed students on Sunday to complete the nationwide rollout of the new academic year. The Makkah region prepared more than 2,455 schools for over 500,000 students who will be taught by more than 38,000 teachers. In Jeddah 2,384 schools stood ready for 714,273 students under the supervision of 41,537 teachers while Taif received 270,000 students across 1,700 schools. The Madinah region enrolled 413,551 students in 1,829 schools with 34,637 teachers on hand the agency detailed in its dispatch.
This wave of returns followed the start of classes one week earlier in the remaining 11 regions and Al-Ahsa governorate on August 23 where more than 4.5 million students began the year the Ministry of Education has stated. The kingdom’s total public school enrollment surpasses 6.5 million students across more than 32,000 schools according to ministry figures cited by local outlets. Teachers in the Makkah-area departments had reported for preparatory duties the previous Sunday to ensure facilities were fully equipped before student arrival.
The Ministry of Education completed preparations for the academic year by resolving six delayed educational projects and carrying out 14 renovation and new-build initiatives in addition to constructing 75 school sports halls. It also activated 5,638 government and private school sites that include thousands of kindergarten and primary classrooms. These steps formed part of a broader plan to empower schools and improve operational efficiency through full outsourcing of maintenance and quality management to the Education Development Company the ministry announced.
Regional education directorates coordinated closely with the ministry to create supportive learning environments that foster student skills and national values. Orientation programs greeted returning pupils on the first day alongside textbook distribution across all involved schools. The structured approach aims to integrate students smoothly into the academic calendar that features designated breaks for national occasions and religious holidays.
Ministry data shows more than half a million teachers and administrators resumed duties in the preceding weeks with an additional 10,000 hired under a spatial contracting system for the new term. Field teams conducted ongoing visits to monitor readiness in every school the ministry reported. Such measures reflect continued efforts to raise educational outcomes in line with national development priorities.
