When the Kingdom was established in , education was available to very few people, mostly the children of wealthy families living in the major cities.
The system is open to all citizens, and provides students with free education, books and health services. While the study of Islam remains at its core, the modern Saudi educational system also provides quality instruction in diverse fields of arts and sciences.
This diversity helps the Kingdom prepare its citizens for life and work in a global economy. Education is a requirement for every Muslim, both male and female. In the centuries after the birth of Islam AD , Muslim states established schools, universities and libraries that were unique in the world. Methods pioneered by Muslim scholars and scientists during the Golden Age became the foundation of modern sciences, and were taught in European universities up to the 18th century.
Formal primary education began in Saudi Arabia in the s. Six years later, in , the country had schools with 29, students. The first university, now known as King Saud University, was founded in Riyadh in In , the Ministry of Education was established, followed by the Ministry of Higher Education in Today, female students make up over half of the more than 6 million students currently enrolled in Saudi schools and universities.
General education in the Kingdom consists of kindergarten, six years of primary school and three years each of intermediate and high school. After elementary and intermediate school, students can choose whether to attend a high school with programs in commerce, the arts and sciences, or a vocational school. In high school, students take comprehensive exams twice a year under the supervision of the Ministry of Education.
