Saudi Arabia Rolls Out AI Curriculum For Six Million Students
By weaving artificial intelligence (AI) into classrooms, the Kingdom is seeking to prepare students not only for advanced studies, but also for careers that are increasingly shaped by data and technology.
More than six million students in Saudi Arabia are beginning the 2025/2026 academic year with a new artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum, marking the first time it enters the core of general education.
The curriculum, which has been developed jointly by the National Centre for Curriculum, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), is designed to give students an early understanding of AI’s role in tackling digital challenges while encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and innovation.
The initiative is part of Saudi Vision 2030, which prioritizes building a knowledge-based society and preparing future generations for a changing labor market. By weaving AI into classrooms, the Kingdom is seeking to prepare students not only for advanced studies but also for careers that are increasingly shaped by data and technology.
SDAIA has played a central role in this effort, working with the Ministry of Education on a range of programs to expand national capabilities in AI. These include training initiatives led by international experts, as well as a newly issued guide on the responsible use of generative AI in schools. The guide emphasizes ethics and safeguards the role of teachers while integrating AI tools into the learning process.
To ensure consistency with international benchmarks, SDAIA and the education and training evaluation commission have also launched the Saudi Academic Framework for AI Qualifications, which is intended to align academic programs with global standards and build employer confidence in the skills of future graduates.
Beyond schools, the Kingdom is widening access to AI learning through initiatives such as the One Million Saudi in AI initiative (SAMAI), which aims to provide one million Saudis with AI knowledge and skills. More than half a million people have already registered. Other initiatives include an AI scholarship program with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program to send students abroad, and the Generative AI Academy, launched with tech giant NVIDIA, which is training professionals in advanced technologies.
Saudi Arabia’s move fits within a wider Gulf trend. Earlier this year, the UAE became one of the first countries to embed AI into core schooling from kindergarten through Grade 12, with a focus on ethics, innovation, and project-based learning. Elsewhere in the GCC, countries such as Qatar and Bahrain are advancing AI adoption in higher education and through educational technology frameworks.
