Saudi Arabia announces return of the two-semester school system
Starting next academic year
As the new academic year approaches and students return to school, the Saudi Council of Ministers, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, approved the return of the two-semester system in Saudi schools.
Effective immediately, for the upcoming academic year, schools in Saudi Arabia will return to the previous two-year semester after four years of the three-semester system.
#مجلس_الوزراء: إقرار فصلين دراسيين لمدارس التعليم العام للعام الدراسي القادم (1447 / 1448هـ).#واس pic.twitter.com/H9lySXvcZl
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However, the decision does not affect the previously approved academic calendar for the next four years, including the periods that determine the beginning and end of the academic year.
The Ministry of Education’s three-semester experiment has achieved several gains, especially in increasing the number of school days to 180 days per year, which is in line with international standards according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and with the systems of the G20 countries, in which the number of school days ranges between 180 and 185 days and in some cases reaches 200 school days.
The Ministry affirmed that it will continue to enhance diversity and flexibility in some schools, including private and international education, and universities, taking into account the needs of regions such as Makkah, Madinah, and the governorates of Taif and Jeddah, and taking into account the needs and requirements of the Hajj and Umrah seasons.
According to the 2025 academic calendar, students are all set to return to school starting on Sunday August 24, with supervisors returning on Tuesday August 12, and teachers after that on Sunday August 17.
Visit: moe.gov.sa
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