Inside Saudi Arabia’s bold bet on public schools

Combined with new financing mechanisms, accelerated licensing, and an active privatisation pipeline, the changes mark a clear entry point for international K-12 groups seeking scale in the Middle East’s most undersupplied education market.

Historically, the private sector in Saudi education has focused on infrastructure development, with the country retaining operational control. However, that boundary has now shifted.

Under the new framework, private companies will be permitted to take on the day-to-day management of public schools, while the Ministry of Education continues to oversee teacher recruitment, vetting, and training. The National Centre 60 state schools have gone into private management as an initial tranche, signalling that this is not a pilot, but a scalable model.

This builds on earlier reforms. In 2024, the management of some public school facilities was transferred to Tatweer Buikdings Company, owned by the country’s entity responsible for public and private partnership delivery. What is new, however, is the explicit opening of school operations to private groups, both domestic and international, as a lever to raise quality and expand capacity.

We’re going to give the private sector the opportunity to run our public schools
_{^{Abdulrahman Al-Hajri, Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia}}

However, to meet population growth and parental demand for diversified schooling options, the Kingdom will require around 214,0000 additional private school seats by 2035; with Riyadh alone needing over 63,000 seats and Jeddah more than 42,000.

Estimates suggest Saudi’s total K-12 student population could reach around 7.2 million by 2030. Meeting that demand would require the equivalent of around 200 new schools, assuming average campus sizes of roughly 2,000 students.

In addition, Saudi Arabia’s international K-12 sector is widely regarded as the most imbalanced in the region, with demand significantly outstripping supply. The latest policy moves suggest the government is now “turning the taps fully” to correct that imbalance.

It has launched new education financing instruments, which include loans with competitive interest rates and extended grace periods aimed at reducing the risk of school development. These measures are expected to bring previously marginal projects into commercial viability.

At the same time, regulators have accelerated education investment licensing, triggering a visible uptick in mergers and acquisitions activity and overseas participation.

Saudi Arabia currently lists 84 education investment opportunities on the Invest Saudi platform, spanning international schools, specialised training centres, data and AI institutes, medical schools, and new university campuses.

According to Abdulrahman Al-Hajiri, deputy minister for Investment at the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry is also actively encouraging developers to integrate schools into new residential communities, working in partnership with the National Housing Company. Three such education and housing projects are already in development, though locations have not been disclosed yet.

While operational control is opening up, the state remains firm on standards. Teacher training and professional accreditation will stay under government oversight. New teachers will be required to complete a year duration for the induction programme; while existing staff will undergo upskilling in collaboration with international partners, including institutions in Singapore. School leaders will receive leadership training through partnerships with University College London.

“We’re going to give the private sector the opportunity to run our public schools,” said Al-Hajri.

“We’re also enlarging the base by adding sport schools, tech schools, and cultural schools all around the kingdom,” he added.

The objective, Al-Hajiri has said, is not only to raise academic outcomes but to align education more closely with labour market needs and family expectations in a rapidly modernising society.

Saudi officials point to international evidence showing that academically excellent schools can lift surrounding property values by 8-15%, a trend observed in the UK, US, and China. In competitive cities, improved education provision has been linked to average housing price increases of up to 15%.

For those with the right mix of capital, operational capability, and strong commitment, Saudi Arabia’s education reforms offer an opportunity that could shape regional market position for the next decade.

As Vision 2030 accelerates, the Kingdom is no longer testing whether private participation belongs in public education; it is actively building the conditions to make it central.

The post Inside Saudi Arabia’s bold bet on public schools appeared first on The PIE News.