Mohammed Bin Ahmed Al-Rashid, Saudi Arabia’s minister of education, has authorized the construction of 61 new schools consisting of 1,347 classrooms for 40,410 students, reported the Al-Hayat daily. They will be built at a cost of SR 358.1 million ($95.5 million) and will encompass primary, preparatory and secondary education levels.
Over the past decade, the Saudi government has given priority to the education system, enlarging budgets and focusing special attention on the specific needs of this sector. According to Al-Hayat, it is estimated that about 1,000 schools will have to be built over the coming decade, at a cost of SR 30 billion ($8 billion).
Education in Saudi Arabia is free but not compulsory. There are about 9,000 elementary schools and 4,600 intermediate and secondary schools. – (Albawaba-MEBG)
