Unlocking the Saudi Schools Market: 3 Challenges & 3 Opportunities for EdTech and Education Businesses

Saudi Arabia is one of the most talked-about growth markets in global education, and with good reason. The scale of ambition is real, the investment is substantial, and the appetite for international expertise and products is genuine. But the gap between opportunity and execution is wider here than many EdTech leaders expect.

This article sets out three significant challenges and three substantial opportunities for education businesses considering Saudi Arabia as a market.

The Challenges

1. Regulatory Complexity

The Saudi education sector is overseen by multiple bodies, including the Ministry of Education, the Education Development Authority (ETEC), and various regional directorates. Approval pathways for curriculum-aligned content, assessment tools, and EdTech platforms are not always clearly documented, and they can shift as policy priorities evolve.

Businesses that move quickly without mapping these requirements often find themselves caught in lengthy compliance reviews that delay or block procurement. Understanding which body has authority over your product category before you enter is not optional.

2. Procurement Cycles

Public school procurement in Saudi Arabia follows government budget cycles and centralised tendering processes that can be slow and opaque from the outside. It is common for a genuine interest from a school or district to take 12 to 24 months to convert into a purchase order, if it converts at all.

This has significant implications for how you resource your sales effort and manage expectations internally. Businesses that model Saudi sales on the same timeline as a typical UK or US school sale tend to run into cash flow and morale problems before the first contract lands.

3. Cultural and Curricular Adaptation

The Saudi curriculum has specific requirements around content alignment, gender-appropriate materials, and cultural sensitivity that go well beyond translation. Products that work well in Western or East Asian contexts often require meaningful localisation before they are appropriate for the Saudi classroom.

This localisation takes time and specialist knowledge. Partnering with a local distributor or content specialist is usually more effective than attempting it independently, but it requires finding the right partner, which has its own challenges.

The Opportunities

1. Vision 2030 Investment

The Saudi government’s Vision 2030 programme has committed substantial public funding to education reform, with a particular focus on 21st-century skills, STEM learning, and improved student outcomes. This is not rhetorical commitment. Budgets have followed the strategy, and international EdTech businesses with demonstrable outcomes data are well positioned to benefit.

2. A Growing Private Sector

Saudi Arabia’s private school sector has expanded rapidly over the past decade, driven by expatriate communities, demand for international curricula, and a growing middle class seeking alternatives to government provision. Private schools often have more flexibility in procurement and a stronger appetite for novel approaches.

This sector offers a faster and more accessible entry point for EdTech businesses that are not yet ready to navigate the public procurement system.

3. Digital Transformation Demand

The pandemic accelerated digital adoption across Saudi schools significantly, and that momentum has continued. There is strong institutional demand for digital learning platforms, teacher development tools, and assessment technologies that can support the broader transformation agenda.

Businesses that can clearly articulate how their product supports measurable outcomes, teacher capability, or system efficiency are finding receptive audiences at both school and ministry level.

The Bottom Line

Saudi Arabia rewards businesses that enter with a clear strategy, realistic timelines, and genuine respect for the market’s complexity. The opportunity is real, but it is not a shortcut. If you are considering Saudi Arabia as part of your growth plan and would like an honest assessment of where your product fits, get in touch with us at hello@ed-v.io.