1.6M Students Start School Year in Riyadh Region

More than 1.6 million students returned to classrooms in the Riyadh region on 23 August 2026, marking the start of the 1448–1449 AH / 2026–2027 academic year across public general education schools. The students are distributed among 8,652 public schools spanning primary, intermediate, and secondary levels under the Riyadh General Directorate of Education.

The new year follows the national academic calendar issued by the Ministry of Education, with term and vacation dates set centrally and applied uniformly across all public schools in the region.

School Timings for 2026/2027

The Riyadh General Directorate of Education confirmed standard daily timings for the year. During summer, the morning assembly begins at 06:15 with the first lesson at 06:30. In winter, the assembly starts at 06:45 and the first lesson at 07:00. During Ramadan, the first lesson begins at 09:00.

Public general education for Saudi citizens in these schools is state-funded and does not charge tuition fees. There are no officially published SAR amounts tied to registration, textbooks, digital learning platforms, uniforms, or transportation set centrally for all Riyadh public schools this year.

Parents and students are reminded that enrolment and school statistics are handled through Ministry of Education e-services and the regional education directorates, along with school-level administration — not through other government platforms used for separate services. The return of more than 1.6 million students reflects the scale of public education in the capital region and the routines many families across Riyadh now settle back into for the year ahead.

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