AI classes to prepare Saudi pupils for the new world

April 18, 2025, 1:56 PM

An attendee at the Education Global Exhibition in Riyadh, which highlights new technologies. More than 8 million young Saudis will enter the workforce by 2040

AI classes in Saudi schools
Benefit of young population
Education budget of $50bn

Saudi secondary school pupils will soon have classes on artificial intelligence (AI) added to their curriculum.

More than 50,000 17 and 18-year-olds will be offered the Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course, a joint initiative between the ministry of education and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

It is part of an effort by the kingdom to prepare young people to cope with the shifting relationship between work and technology.

The advent of AI and other emerging technologies presents a challenge to a country investing billions of dollars to achieve its Vision 2030 goals, one of which is to develop an education system to meet the needs of the labour market.

Last year the country hit an all-time high of 16th on the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, an index published by the Swiss International Institute for Management Development, but was ranked only 38th on education.

The rise of AI could also provide Saudi Arabia with an opportunity to catch up, sponsors argue. Countries are trying to train their workforces to operate within an ever-changing technological environment, but the kingdom, with a young population and $50 billion education budget, may be in a better position than most to adapt.

“From a young Saudi’s perspective, they have every chance to really thrive in this new environment and compete at the global level, not just locally,” said Taha Bawa, co-founder of Goodwall, a software company which teaches computer and creativity skills to young people.

“It’s a young population, it’s a large population,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to have a young person change how they think and how they work.”

According to the International Monetary Fund, 40 percent of jobs worldwide are now exposed to the changes brought about by AI. Goldman Sachs estimates that 300 million jobs could be “lost or degraded” as emerging technologies change the way work is carried out.

In Saudi Arabia the economy is already in a state of flux as it invests heavily to pivot its economy away from hydrocarbons.

The plan laid out in Vision 2030 is for 65 percent of GDP to be in the non-oil sector. It passed the 50 percent mark for the first time last year.

The ongoing development of major non-oil sectors, such as tourism and manufacturing, presents an opportunity to fast-track the incorporation of new technologies such as AI.

“Change management that is needed is harder to do when you have existing processes that have been running for decades,” said Baha.

“For Saudi, a lot of its work is taking place from starting new schools, universities and as a result, you can start with the best practices.”

The kingdom has a growing population with an average age below 30, almost a generation younger than the European Union average. More than 8 million young people living in Saudi Arabia will enter the workforce by 2040, by which point the nature of work could be completely different from today.

“You could have said, ‘I’m not really interested in coding’,” said Roland Hancock, education partner and chief sustainability officer at consulting firm PwC. “You can’t get away with saying no to AI. You have to engage. Your job is going to change. And you’re going to have to figure out how you evolve in it.”