{
  "id": 1538622,
  "title": "Saudi Arabia revamps 22 subjects, adds 50 AI units to new academic year curriculum",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/saudi-arabia-revamps-22-subjects-adds-50-ai-units-to-new-academic",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-17T17:33:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Saudi Gazette",
    "slug": "saudi-gazette",
    "url": "https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/663824/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-revamps-22-subjects-adds-50-ai-units-to-new-academic-year-curriculum"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Saudi Arabia is introducing substantial changes to its academic curriculum for the upcoming academic year, according to Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan. Twenty-two subjects have been revised, and an additional fifty educational units focused on artificial intelligence have been incorporated. These updates were announced during a government press conference in Riyadh on Monday, ahead of the new academic year's commencement.\n\nThe approval of the General Education Law, which Al-Benyan credited to the Saudi leadership, is seen as enhancing the overall educational environment. The minister unveiled the Education Portal, an integrated platform consolidating all educational services under one roof. Furthermore, three international universities have been acquired, either directly or through partnerships with local institutions.\n\nOver 495,000 students have taken part in qualifying competitions, while more than 45,000 students have enrolled in specialized schools catering to gifted students. The General Education Law is designed to meet the educational objectives and elevate the quality of the educational environment, while also overseeing the roles of private and non-profit sectors. It safeguards religious values, national identity, the history and symbols of the Kingdom, and the Arabic language. The law also prioritizes the needs of students with disabilities, places emphasis on identifying and supporting gifted students, and underscores the vital role of the family.\n\nAl-Benyan disclosed that 4,000 teachers have been trained to recognize gifted students, and all schools in the Kingdom have undergone evaluations over the past three years to improve educational outcomes. The Education and Training Evaluation Commission is responsible for quality assurance.\n\nIn terms of teacher development, 70 percent of foreign scholarship recipients are currently studying at the world's top 50 universities. The ministry aims to increase enrollment in early childhood programs to more than 90 percent by 2030. Two advisory councils, composed of school principals and teachers, have been established to identify school and student needs. The ministry is also collaborating with the private and public sectors to boost student enrollment in workplace kindergartens.\n\nThe National Center for Curricula is developing a national curriculum model centered on values, skills, and knowledge, from early childhood to secondary school. Each teacher is required to specialize in their respective subject area. Starting this year, teachers are permitted to leave school at the end of the school day, according to the schedule approved for each institution. The minister highlighted the identities of several Saudi universities, including King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa, which focuses on food security and sustainability; Jeddah University, specializing in transportation and supply chains; Umm Al-Qura University, known for Hajj and Umrah studies and crowd management; and Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, emphasizing Sharia sciences and the Arabic language.",
  "summary": "RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan said that 22 subjects have been updated and 50 educational units in artificial intelligence have been added to the curriculum for the new academic year. Addressing the government press conference in Riyadh on Monday ahead of the beginning of the new academic year, Al-Benyan said that the approval of the General Education Law enhances the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}