Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Feb 21, 2026

Saudi Arabia launches strategy to include cultural activities in school curricula

Saudi Arabia's Culture Ministry and Education Ministry launched on Thursday the strategy for Developing Cultural Capabilities, which aims to link the education outputs with the needs of the labor market in the culture sector.
The strategy will work by including art and culture in all stages of education, technical and vocational training, as well as developing an educational environment for the growth of the cultural sector and elevating it to reach broader areas in light of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. The strategy is based on 3 pillars — qualified graduates in the field of culture; sustainable jobs; art connoisseurs.

The strategy for Developing Cultural Capabilities has several goals, the first of which is to provide more than half of the general education schools with extra-curricular cultural activities by 2026.

In addition, it targets more than 5% of general education graduates to choose culture as a major and work in the cultural sectors.

Among other goals, the strategy aims to graduate more than 20,000 students from universities and technical and vocational training centers with qualifications to work in the cultural sector. It also aims to increase the number of training institutions in the field of art and culture to 120.

The strategy seeks to support amateurs with the aim of having more than 14% of Saudis take hobbies related to culture and arts.

It also aims to orientate 60% of people to have a positive perception toward artistic and cultural courses and hobbies.

Six goals have been identified for the strategy to achieve, which include: ensuring that talents and artistic and cultural hobbies are continuously explored and appreciated; providing the opportunity to develop hobbies and non-institutional education to enhance individuals exploring artistic interests and skills; offering the general education students with a high-quality foundational education in culture and arts.

Moreover, it aims to provide university students and technical and vocational trainees with high-quality programs in terms of art and culture to meet the needs of the labor market; enable sustainable professional development for art and culture practitioners and entrepreneurs; increase the general awareness of developing the cultural capabilities, and create a positive image for the artistic and cultural professions and talents.

The goals will be distributed within four educational paths: general education; university education; technical and vocational training; and continuing education. The strategy will work to achieve this via several programs, such as teacher development; academic and cultural activities; specialized colleges and academies; technical and vocational programs; talent hunting and nurturing programs; and art and culture curricula.

Thirty-three initiatives will be taken within the framework of the strategy, including programs for discovering talents; designing and improving culture and arts curricula in general education; determining teachers' professional standards, and the standard and infrastructure development in schools; cultural scholarship program and many more.

The strategy will allow the students to discover their identities, culture, and their society which would enhance their sense of belonging and appreciation for differences and cultural diversity. In addition to increasing their confidence, and developing their social skills, it will have a positive impact on their academic achievement.

It will also offer better opportunities for talented students of both sexes, and create a creative generation that serves 16 cultural sectors.

Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Farhan affirmed that the strategy aims to develop the cultural and artistic capabilities and skills of community members through an integrated system of policies, standards and academic programs that will contribute to enriching cultural creativity in Saudi Arabia.

On his part, Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan said including the arts and culture in all education stages will contribute to developing the educational process. He noted that the strategy will support the students' talents and develop their capabilities to compete globally.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Minerals Drive Offers Lessons for Europe’s Supply Chain Ambitions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
Saudi-Backed Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Turkey’s Loom Games to Expand Mobile Portfolio
Zodiac Milpro Launches Zid Marine Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia to Expand Regional Shipbuilding
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Reform Path Amid Claims of Ideological Reversal
Calls Grow for Saudi Arabia and UAE to Settle Differences Through Direct Dialogue
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
British couple sentenced to 10 years in Iran for espionage
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
Prince William Holds Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman During Saudi Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits $3 Billion Investment to Elon Musk’s xAI
SCOPA Executive Unveils Ambitious Relaunch Strategy for Saudi Production Company
Saudi Arabia Sees Rise in Business Visa Rejections Amid Tighter Compliance Checks
Saudi PIF Transfers Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group in Strategic Gaming Push
Jimmy Carr Says He ‘Loved’ Saudi Arabia Show Amid Debate Over Performing in the Kingdom
Sotheby’s ‘Origins II’ Auction Signals Saudi Collectors’ Shift Toward Cultural Legacy
EY and Microsoft Deepen Saudi Arabia Partnership with Launch of EY Studio+
Google Pay Launches Support for Mastercard Cards in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Bolsters Maritime Surveillance Fleet with Four C-27J Patrol Aircraft
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia Deepen Strategic Partnership with New Investment and Energy Agreements
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Kazakhstan’s President Amid Expanding Strategic Ties
ImmunityBio Shares Rise After Saudi Arabia BCG Manufacturing Update Spurs Investor Optimism
Global Music Star Tyla Confirmed as Headliner at 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Entertainment Lineup
Somalia and Saudi Arabia Forge New Military Partnership Amid Regional Power Shifts
Saudi Arabia and Several Nations Criticize Israeli West Bank Land Measures as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Saudi Public Investment Fund Transfers Stake in Take-Two Interactive as Portfolio Strategy Evolves
Saudi Arabia’s Flagship Defense Expo Highlights Industrial Ambitions and Expanding Arms Portfolio
Strategic Divergence Deepens as Saudi Arabia and UAE Recalibrate Gulf Partnership
Saudi Arabia Confirms Start of Ramadan as Crescent Moon Sighted, While Other Nations Begin a Day Later
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
×