The Saudi Ministry of Education has issued a decisive decision to revoke the licenses of 74 private schools across several cities in the Kingdom. This action is part of the Ministry's ongoing efforts to ensure the quality of education and provide a safe and stimulating school environment for students. The decision followed thorough and intensive monitoring that revealed significant violations related to student safety and educational quality standards, as well as non-compliance with regulations and requirements established by the relevant authorities.

Reasons for license cancellations and observed violations

The ministry explained in its statement that the violations that warranted this strict measure ranged from administrative and technical to security-related issues. The most prominent violation was the lack of a valid operating license, the essential document that grants the school the right to conduct educational activities. The absence of a safety license (civil defense certificate) was also a major reason for the closure, as this certificate is an indispensable requirement to ensure the safety of lives and property within educational facilities and confirms that the buildings are free from hazards that could threaten student safety.

Students' fate and transfer procedures

Out of concern for the well-being of students and to ensure their education is not disrupted by this decision, the Ministry of Education announced immediate measures to address their situation. Students transferred from closed schools will be directly enrolled in public schools to guarantee the continuity of their studies. Simultaneously, the Ministry has provided parents with the option to transfer their children to other private schools of their choice, according to their preferences and residential locations, thus offering significant flexibility in dealing with this exceptional circumstance.

Context of the decision and the importance of compliance with regulations

This move by the Ministry of Education comes within the framework of a comprehensive strategy aimed at raising the efficiency of the private education sector in the Kingdom, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030, which places education and its quality at the forefront of its priorities. Through these measures, the Ministry affirms that it will not tolerate any shortcomings that compromise student safety or diminish the quality of educational outcomes. This decision serves as a clear message to all investors in the education sector regarding the necessity of full compliance with the updated standards and requirements.

Gradual implementation of regulatory procedures

The ministry indicated that the closure decision was not sudden, but rather came after exhausting all legal avenues. The decision was preceded by a series of regulatory measures and a gradual process of issuing warnings to the violating schools, granting them grace periods to rectify their situations. However, the schools' failure to respond to the corrective requirements, the continuation of violations that increased the level of potential risks, and the inability of the licensees to meet the necessary operational requirements, necessitated the decision to revoke their licenses in order to protect the public interest.

The intensive monitoring tours carried out by the ministry’s teams during the past period showed that a number of schools did not comply with updating their licenses or meeting the updated requirements, which necessitated decisive intervention to ensure a safe and stable educational environment for all the sons and daughters of the nation.

His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Makkah Region, received the annual report of the Ministry of Commerce branch in the region for the year 2025, during a meeting at the Governorate headquarters in Jeddah with the Director General of the Ministry's branch in the region, Khalil bin Ibrahim Makhsha. The report revealed record figures reflecting the extent of efforts made to protect consumers and enhance commercial compliance in the Holy City.

Record numbers in monitoring and controlling violations

The statistics in the report showed the success of the inspection teams in seizing more than 10 million products that violated regulations and standards. These seizures were the result of intensive field efforts, with the ministry's branches and offices in the region conducting more than 191,000 comprehensive field visits, including more than 9,600 detailed inspection visits targeting specific sectors to ensure their compliance with regulations.

Enhancing the business environment and protecting consumers in line with Vision 2030

These intensified campaigns are part of the National Strategy for Consumer Protection and Combating Commercial Fraud, a cornerstone of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. These efforts aim to create a fair and competitive business environment that guarantees the rights of both consumers and compliant merchants. These efforts are particularly important in the Makkah region due to its religious and geographical significance, as it receives millions of visitors, pilgrims, and Umrah performers annually, necessitating rigorous oversight to ensure the quality of goods and services provided to these guests of God.

Exceptional efforts during religious seasons

The report highlighted the high level of preparedness of the ministry branch during peak seasons, specifically the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages and the holy month of Ramadan. Operational plans focused on monitoring markets to ensure the availability of essential food and Ramadan-related goods, guaranteeing price stability, and ensuring that retailers complied with regulations. These proactive measures contributed to securing supply chains and meeting the increased demand during these spiritual seasons.

Supporting fisheries and social responsibility

The ministry's efforts were not limited to oversight; they extended to supporting vital sectors and social responsibility initiatives. The report highlighted efforts to support the fisheries sector by providing 200 distress devices, 35 boat engines, and six refrigerated trucks to ensure the safe transport of marine products.

In a humanitarian gesture that reinforces the concept of social solidarity and reduces food waste, the Ministry delivered approximately 100 tons of fruits and vegetables fit for consumption and confiscated from public benefit markets to 14 charitable associations, in addition to distributing 644 kilograms of fish and 11,000 kilograms of red meat to those in need, in accordance with the established regulatory mechanisms.

Digital transformation and serving the business sector

The Ministry of Commerce in the Makkah region has kept pace with technological advancements by providing over 65,000 electronic services to the business sector, streamlining procedures and saving time and effort for investors. The branch also served over 384,000 commercial registrations in the region, reflecting the significant economic activity and increasing growth in commercial activity in Makkah.