Saudi Arabia continues three-term school year, allocates 8-week summer vacation

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RIYADH — The Saudi Cabinet has approved the general timeframe for the academic calendar in public education, higher education, technical and vocational training for the next five years, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

At the same time, the Saudi Ministry of Education has issued the academic calendar for the upcoming academic year, which includes the continuation of the three-term school year system in public education.

The ministry will determine the most suitable system, whether "two or three academic terms for the remaining four years at the end of the academic year," while maintaining the approved timeframe of no less than 180 instructional days.

The upcoming academic year will allocate 8 weeks for the summer vacation. The first term will begin on Sunday, August 18, 2024, the second term will begin on Sunday, November 17, 2024, and the third term will begin on Sunday, March 2, 2025, ending on Thursday, June 26, 2025.

The vacations for the upcoming academic year include: National Day vacation, long weekends, autumn break, long weekends, mid-year break, Foundation Day break, winter break, Eid Al-Fitr break, and another long weekend, as well as Eid Al-Adha break.

The regulations governing the academic calendar authorize government and private universities, the General Organization for Technical and Vocational Training, foreign and private schools, Saudi schools abroad, and community schools to develop their academic calendar according to guidelines set by the Ministry of Education, while maintaining the approved timeframe for the five academic years, which positively impacts the educational process.