Egyptian Schools in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia agreed in principle to allow the opening of Egyptian schools in Jeddah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province to teach the Egyptian syllabus, sources at the Egyptian consulate announced yesterday.

Egyptian students in the Kingdom used to do their final examinations in their country’s embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah.

The sources said the Kingdom’s agreement in principle came after more than 40 years of demand to open Egyptian schools for Egyptian students staying with their families in the Kingdom.

The sources said the request had been refused in the past under a decision adopted by the Arab League about 40 years ago, preventing member countries from opening their own schools in other Arab countries.

The sources quoted Egyptian Minister of Education Jamal Al-Arabia as saying that a Saudi tripartite committee of the Ministries of Education, Interior and Foreign Affairs gave its consent in principle to teach the Egyptian syllabus in five Egyptian schools already existing in the Kingdom. There are two in Riyadh, two in Jeddah and one in the Eastern Province.

The sources said, according to Arabnews.com, the Egyptians asked for two more schools, one each in Makkah and Jeddah.

There are about 150,000 Egyptian students studying in government, private and international schools in Saudi Arabia.