An introduction that matters to every family:
In early 2026, Saudi Arabia's private and international education sector woke up to a firm decision from the Ministry of Education, in coordination with the General Directorate of Civil Defense and the Authority of Accredited Valuers: the immediate closure of 74 private and international schools across various regions of the Kingdom.
For parents, this wasn't just a passing headline; it was a shock and a source of genuine anxiety. How could well-established schools, charging fees in the thousands, with hundreds of students, be shut down overnight?
At Mdares.ai, we're putting this comprehensive investigative guide in your hands to explain the hidden details behind this campaign, and to reveal the real reasons behind the closures — so that your own eyes become the first line of defense for your children's safety and future.
First: Why Were Exactly 74 Schools Closed in 2026?
These decisions weren't random. They came after a surprise, strict inspection campaign that focused on the "red lines" affecting student safety and academic future. The reasons for closure fell into 4 categories:
1. Critical Civil Defense Violations (Security and Safety)
Safety violations topped the list of reasons for immediate closure, as inspection teams found alarming breaches in some schools, such as:
Emergency exits completely blocked: Emergency exits used as storage for damaged furniture, or locked with iron chains to prevent students from leaving — turning the building into a trap in the event of a fire.
Disabled alarm and fire suppression systems: Missing automatic sprinkler networks, fire extinguishers expired for years without periodic maintenance, and malfunctioning smoke detectors.
No emergency drills: No mock evacuation drills conducted to train students on how to respond in emergencies.
2. Structural and Architectural Deficiencies in Buildings
The campaign found that some schools were operating in dilapidated buildings unfit for education in the first place:
Buildings without occupancy certificates: Buildings converted into schools without obtaining the municipal engineering licenses that certify the concrete structure can bear the numerical density of students.
Damp and cracked walls: Dangerous cracks found in ceilings and water leaks threatening the buildings' electrical networks, increasing the risk of short circuits.
3. Administrative Chaos and Expired Licenses
Some schools continued operating and admitting students for years on expired licenses, assuming oversight would never reach them:
Teaching without an operating license: Schools whose deadline to correct their legal status with the Ministry of Education had expired, yet continued collecting fees unlawfully.
Stage and specialization violations: Schools licensed only for the "primary" stage, but secretly opening classes for the intermediate or secondary stages without official licensing for those stages.
4. Academic Manipulation and Absence from the "Tracking System"
This is the greatest risk to students' academic future:
The campaign found schools operating entirely outside the Ministry's digital system (not linked to the Noor system), meaning students were studying without their certificates being officially recorded — threatening to void their academic years entirely, since the Ministry doesn't recognize them.
Second: The Big Shock for Parents (A School's Age Is Not a Measure of Safety!)
The most important lesson parents took from the 2026 campaign is that a school's fame or how long it has been in the neighborhood is not proof of its safety.
Among the 74 schools that were closed, some had been operating for more than 10 years and had a good reputation among families. This means that neglecting to renew licenses and maintain safety systems can happen at any time, to any institution — and it is your duty as a parent to verify continuously.
Third: How to Protect Your Children — Mdares.ai's Three-Step Verification Plan
So you don't find yourself standing in front of a closed school door with the Ministry's red wax seal, follow these three steps before the start of every semester:
Step 1: Check the License and the Stage Make sure the school is licensed specifically for your child's educational stage (primary/intermediate/secondary).
Step 2: Visual Inspection On-Site Check the emergency exits, make sure fire extinguishers are up to date, and confirm there are no exposed wires or cracks.
Step 3: Instant Verification via Mdares.ai Search for the school on our platform to confirm its regulatory status (active and safe) — closed schools are automatically blocked.
Fourth: What to Do If Your Child's School Is Among the Closed Schools
If your family has been affected by these closures, here is the approved legal and educational roadmap to protect your rights:
1. The Academic Solution (Your Child's Future Stays Safe) As soon as a closure decision is issued, the regional education department is obligated to facilitate transferring all students to the nearest regulated schools (public or licensed private) that match the parent's preference, ensuring the student doesn't miss a single day of school.
2. The Financial Solution (Fee Refunds) You are legally entitled to a full refund of all fees paid for the portion of the academic term that was not completed due to the closure.
If the excluded school's administration refuses to return the money, a formal complaint can be filed immediately through the Ministry of Education's website (Tawasul platform), or by approaching the "Dispute Settlement Committee for Private Education" to legally reclaim your financial rights.
FAQ for Parents About the 2026 Closure Decisions
Q1: Were major international schools among the 74 closed schools? Yes. The closures included private schools following the national curriculum, as well as international schools following foreign curricula. Saudi safety and security regulations don't distinguish by curriculum type — everyone is subject to Civil Defense and Ministry of Education authority.
Q2: How can I be sure my child's previous certificates from the closed school are recognized and won't be lost? As long as your child was registered in the official "Noor system" throughout the previous years, their past certificates are fully valid and recognized, because the issue lies in freezing the school's future activity — not in erasing the historical records of regularly enrolled students.
Q3: How does the Mdares.ai platform ensure I don't fall into the trap of an unlicensed school? On the Mdares.ai platform, we continuously filter and instantly update our database. As soon as any official decision is issued to suspend or close a school in the Kingdom, it is automatically blocked from the platform's search engine within 72 hours, so we direct you only to options that are safe and 100% legally licensed.
Q4: Is a school allowed to raise tuition fees on the grounds of developing its security and safety systems? No, never. Maintaining and providing safety and security equipment
(such as emergency exits and fire suppression systems) is a mandatory, legal requirement for school licensing — not an "additional" or optional paid service. Any increase in tuition fees must be licensed and pre-approved by the Ministry of Education, and must appear clearly on the Ministry's portal and on the school's page on Mdares.ai.
Q5: My child studies on the third floor — is this safe and permitted under regulations? Safety and security requirements determine student placement by age group to ensure safe evacuation:
Kindergarten and early primary grades (1st and 2nd grade): Their classrooms must be on the ground floor only, given how difficult movement is for them during emergencies.
Upper grades and special education: May be placed on upper floors, provided there are wide emergency stairs leading directly to the outdoor yard. If your child is in kindergarten and their classroom is on the second or third floor, this is a clear licensing violation.
Q6: How can I be sure the school bus that transports my child daily is safe? Student safety doesn't end at the school gates. When enrolling in the bus service, make sure of the following:
The bus is licensed by the General Authority for Transport (in the standard yellow color).
Each seat has a seatbelt, and the bus has a fire extinguisher and a first-aid kit.
There is a "bus supervisor" accompanying the students (especially for primary and pre-primary stages) to ensure no child is ever forgotten on the bus upon arrival.
Q7: Do safety and security violations affect a school's academic rating and universities' recognition of its certificates? Yes, indirectly. A school that receives repeated safety warnings sees its rating weaken in the Education and Training Evaluation Commission's (Tameez) assessments. And if things escalate to closure, moving the student to a new environment can affect their psychological stability, academic performance, and the cumulative GPA relevant to university admission.
Q8: If I notice a clear violation at the school (like a locked emergency door), should I inform the administration or the Ministry immediately? We always recommend the following:
Speak with the school's administration first, in a friendly manner, and explain what you observed (it may be an individual staff member's mistake).
If you don't get a prompt response within 24 hours, report it immediately through the Ministry of Education's "Tawasul" app, or file an emergency report with Civil Defense — because children's lives cannot wait.
Today's Decision Is Tomorrow's Safety
Ultimately, choosing the right school for our children isn't just an investment in their minds and academic future — it is, first and foremost, a trust placed in our hands to ensure they come back to us safely at the end of every school day. The 2026 decisions proved to us that strict oversight serves everyone's interest, and that awareness is the strongest weapon to protect our children and our educational investments.
Always remember: "the right to ask" about a school's safety and licensing quality is not a challenge to its administration — it is a parental duty and a legal and moral obligation.
At Mdares.ai, we're proud to be your third eye and your smart partner on this journey — saving you the trouble of searching, and giving you complete transparency at the push of a button.