The UNESCO report 'Global Education Monitoring Report 2026' reveals a significant transformation and rapid growth in higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom recorded a post-secondary enrollment rate of 83.88% for the year 2024, reflecting the efforts made to enhance higher education.
Data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics indicates a near-complete gender parity in higher education, with a ratio of 1.01. Additionally, the number of students enrolled in higher education has risen to 1.57 million, reflecting substantial expansion in this sector.
Event Details
The report shows a notable increase in disciplines related to the knowledge economy, with the gender gap in higher education narrowing from 20 percentage points in 2006 to just 5 points in 2022. According to the data, this gap disappeared in 2024, accompanied by a slight increase in the enrollment rate of female students in higher education.
The report also addressed the development of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, which aligns with the internal expansion of universities. The entry of Saudi universities into global rankings has contributed to this expansion, along with the opening of several technical colleges.
Background & Context
Online and blended learning are considered successful solutions adopted by the Kingdom to remove barriers for girls in accessing higher education. The enrollment rate of girls in the Saudi Electronic University has nearly doubled between 2018 and 2024.
This coincided with the participation of the Ministry of Education in a high-level event to launch the report at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, where the Kingdom was invited as a leading model in post-secondary education. The Undersecretary of the Ministry for Planning, Engineer Saad Al-Ghamdi, showcased the Kingdom's efforts to enhance access to post-secondary education while ensuring the quality of educational outcomes.
Impact & Consequences
These efforts include the expansion of over 70 universities and colleges and the development of online education through the Saudi Electronic University and university programs. The 'Qabul' platform was launched to ensure equitable admission opportunities, with the enrollment rate in technical and vocational education exceeding 30% in 2024, as part of the Human Capacity Development Program initiatives.
Al-Ghamdi also highlighted the successes achieved by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, which includes over 56,000 scholarship recipients, in addition to the number of beneficiaries from the 'Study in Saudi Arabia' services reaching 200,000 international students. Prestigious international universities have also been attracted to open branches within the Kingdom.
Regional Significance
In terms of academic excellence, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals ranked 67th globally according to the QS ranking, and several Saudi universities entered the list of the top 100 universities worldwide based on the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) report. The percentage of female graduates from STEM programs rose to 45.6% in 2024, reflecting the growing research and innovation environment in the Kingdom.
These achievements represent a significant step toward enhancing higher education in Saudi Arabia, contributing to the realization of the goals of Vision 2030.