The Regulation on Private Educational Institutions and What It Means for Schools, Investors and Parents

On 19 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH, corresponding to 30 October 2026, the Umm Al-Qura Gazette published the Regulation on Private Educational Institutions. The Regulation was issued under paragraph 5 of Article 8 of the Public Education Law issued by Royal Decree No. M/36. The Council for General Education Affairs approved it by its resolution dated 11 October 2026, and it governs licensing, fees and the obligations of private schools.

In brief

The Regulation requires two stages, qualification and then licensing, before any private educational institution may open, operate or advertise. It requires schools to announce their fees at least 180 days before the start of the academic year and to notify parents of any change the same period before it takes effect. It also prohibits collecting any amount that has not been disclosed and prohibits withholding a student’s results because of a financial dispute. Under Article 25 it takes effect from the date the Public Education Law comes into force.

Who does the new Regulation cover?

Article 3 provides that the Regulation applies to all private educational institutions except those excluded by a specific statutory provision. Article 1 defines a private educational institution as an establishment owned by the private sector or the nonprofit sector and holding a license from the Ministry. The definition covers establishments that provide education for one or more stages of public education or that serve specific groups such as gifted students and persons with disabilities. Article 2 lists among the Regulation’s objectives the promotion of private sector participation, including foreign investment and the nonprofit sector.

What are the stages for obtaining a private school license?

Article 5 provides that an application to open and operate an institution passes through two stages, qualification and then licensing. The Ministry issues the qualification document within no more than ten working days from the date the application is complete, and it may request clarifications during this period. The document is valid for one year, and the Ministry may extend it upon a reasoned request submitted before it expires.

Under the same Article the qualification document is not a license. It does not entitle its holder to enroll students, conclude study contracts or collect fees. As an exception, the holder may advertise the project for investment, recruitment or completion of construction, provided it clearly discloses that it has not yet obtained a license. Paragraph 9 provides that the document does not create an acquired right to obtain the license.

Article 6 sets out the licensing requirements. These include a valid commercial registration or other valid statutory document, an activity license and site license from the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing. The requirements also include a safety permit from the Civil Defense, a report from a licensed engineering office, a study plan approved by the National Center for Curricula and the specification of national identity subjects. The Ministry notifies the applicant of its decision within thirty days. Any refusal must be written and reasoned, and the applicant has the right to file a grievance.

Paragraph 2 of Article 4 prohibits any person from presenting himself or another as a provider of educational services unless licensed. Paragraph 3 provides that a license from any other authority does not replace a license from the Ministry of Education. Paragraph 6 allows the Ministry to coordinate with the competent authorities to close any site where the activity is carried out without a license.

How long is a license valid and when may it be cancelled?

Article 7 provides that the Ministry sets the license term according to the category of the institution and the nature of the activity, and the term may not be less than one year. The term may differ on renewal according to the level of compliance, the results of evaluation and classification, and the risks associated with the activity. A renewal application must be submitted at least ninety days before the license expires.

Article 9 lists the grounds for cancellation. These include repeated serious violations and the institution ceasing activity for longer than the period set by the Ministry. They also include the end of the licensee’s legal personality or its liquidation, and the loss of any of the essential licensing requirements. If an institution wishes to close permanently, it must submit its request at least 180 days before the proposed date.

The request must include a plan to wind down the activity covering notice to parents, completion of the academic year, transfer of students and settlement of fees due. The plan must also cover delivery of certificates and records and the handling of obligations relating to staff and facilities. Paragraph 7 provides that cancellation does not affect any liability or obligation that arose before its date.

What has changed in setting and amending tuition fees?

Article 10 gives the institution the right to set its fees and allows it to amend them for enrolled students according to criteria approved by the Council for General Education Affairs. The institution must announce its fees and the details of the services included and register them on the Ministry’s platform at least 180 days before the start of the academic year. An institution whose first license is issued after this period has passed is exempt from it.

Paragraph 5 requires that parents of enrolled students be notified of any change in fees at least 180 days before it takes effect. Article 11 requires disclosure of all amounts and a clear distinction between included services and optional services such as trips and activities. The same Article prohibits collecting any amount that has not been disclosed in advance and prohibits requiring a parent to take any optional service.

May a school withhold a student’s results because of fees?

Article 12 prohibits involving the student in any claims or correspondence concerning fees owed by the parent. It also prohibits denying the student educational resources, withholding the student’s results or affecting the student’s right to educational services because of a financial dispute. Under the same Article the institution keeps its right to claim what it is owed through lawful means.

Article 19 requires that parents be able to review, before enrollment, the license number, curricula, fees and the payment, withdrawal and refund policies. The institution must provide an announced complaints channel and decide complaints within ten days, without prejudice to the complainant’s right to go to the Ministry.

What are the responsibilities of the licensee and the school principal?

Article 14 makes the licensee ultimately responsible before the Ministry for the institution’s compliance with the Law, the Regulation and the license conditions. Assigning the institution’s work to an educational operator or another party does not relieve the licensee of this responsibility. Article 15 requires the licensee to appoint a qualified principal, supervise the operator and disclose to the Ministry any change in ownership or management. Article 13 requires the institution to obtain and maintain school accreditation from the Education and Training Evaluation Commission or from an international body it recognizes.

Article 16 requires the principal to meet the qualifications and experience set by the Ministry according to the type of institution or its stages. The principal must not have received a final judgment for a crime involving dishonor or breach of trust unless he has been restored to good standing. The Ministry must be notified of the appointment or replacement of the principal within thirty days, and someone must be assigned to act for the principal if he is absent for more than five days.

How will the Ministry monitor compliance and what are the penalties?

Article 20 requires the Ministry to establish a risk management framework that classifies institutions by level of risk and compliance and relies on data and evidence. The framework includes self assessment, periodic disclosure, periodic, random or targeted field verification and monitoring of complaints and violations. The Ministry may publish institutions’ compliance levels or risk assessment results on its approved platform according to controls it sets.

Article 21 allows the Ministry to require an institution to follow a corrective plan within a period it sets, without prejudice to the prescribed penalties. Article 22 provides for applying the penalties in the schedule of violations and penalties to be issued under the Law. In setting a penalty, account is taken of the seriousness of the violation, its repetition, its effect on students and the extent of the institution’s cooperation in remedying it.

When does the Regulation take effect and what are its main deadlines?

Article 25 provides that the Regulation applies from the date the Public Education Law comes into force. News sources published when the Law was issued indicate that it takes effect 180 days after its publication in the Official Gazette. In practice the Regulation replaces the Regulation on Organizing Private Schools issued in 1395 AH and the Regulation on Foreign Schools issued in 1418 AH, both of which were repealed by the decision issuing the Law.

Article 23 provides that the Ministry will issue the forms, guides and implementing instructions, which apply from the date of their publication or the date specified in them. Article 24 provides that license fees apply from the date the instruments issued on them under the Law come into force. The following table summarizes the main deadlines in the Regulation.

Action	Deadline	Article
Issuing the qualification document	Ten working days from completion of the application	Article 5
Validity of the qualification document	One year, extendable upon a reasoned request	Article 5
Notification of the licensing decision	Thirty days	Article 6
License renewal application	At least ninety days before expiry	Article 7
Request for permanent closure	180 days before the proposed date	Article 9
Announcing and registering fees	180 days before the start of the academic year	Article 10
Notifying parents of a fee change	180 days before the change takes effect	Article 10
Notifying the Ministry of the appointment or replacement of the principal	Thirty days	Article 16
Assigning someone to act for the principal	When the principal is absent for more than five days	Article 16
Deciding complaints	Ten days	Article 19

What should be done now

We advise owners of existing schools to review their current license and check that the stages, programs and type of education actually provided match what it states. We did not find an express provision in the Regulation governing schools that are already licensed, so it is advisable to follow the instructions the Ministry issues.

The finance department needs a timetable that ensures fees are announced and registered 180 days before the start of the academic year. Enrollment contracts and lists of optional services should also be reviewed so that no amount is collected without prior disclosure. The collection policy needs to be amended to separate the student completely from any financial claim and to limit claims to lawful means.

A licensee that assigns operation to another party should review the operating agreement and include clear oversight mechanisms in it. It is advisable to prepare the education continuity plan, the complaints policy and the records required under Articles 13 and 18. New investors should start with the qualification application and make sure their advertising states that the project is not yet licensed.

Frequently asked questions

Is the qualification document enough to start enrolling students?

It is not enough, because paragraph 5 of Article 5 provides that it does not entitle its holder to enroll students or collect fees. A final license from the Ministry is required before any operation.

May a school raise fees in the middle of the year?

Article 10 allows fees to be amended according to criteria approved by the Council, provided parents are notified at least 180 days before the change takes effect. This means no increase can apply before that period has passed from the date of notice.

What can a parent do if the school withholds a child’s results?

Article 12 prohibits withholding results because of a financial dispute, and the parent may file a complaint through the school’s announced channel. Under Article 19 the parent also keeps the right to complain directly to the Ministry.

Does contracting with an educational operator relieve the owner of responsibility?

It does not, because Article 14 provides that assigning work to an operator or another party does not relieve the licensee of its statutory responsibility. The licensee remains fully responsible before the Ministry for the institution’s compliance.

The Governance and Compliance team at Perfect Solution Lawyers and Consultants helps schools and investors review their position and contracts under the new Regulation. You can request a meeting with one of our lawyers to discuss your case and plan your compliance steps.

The official source for this article is the text of the Regulation on Private Educational Institutions published in the Umm Al-Qura Gazette.

This article is for general awareness only. It is not legal advice and does not replace consulting a qualified lawyer about your situation.