Riyadh – Badr Al‑Khuraif
King Saud bin Abdulaziz laid the first building blocks of education in his country during the reign of his father, the Founder, when he was still Crown Prince. After assuming the throne, the second monarch of modern Saudi Arabia cemented his name as the first great patron of education in the young state by establishing an institute named after his sons and daughters—though it was open to all children of the nation—some 65 years ago. He later crowned his efforts by issuing, 54 years ago, a royal decree establishing a dedicated Ministry of Education (Wizarat al‑Ma‘arif) to oversee all educational affairs and elevate learning to a level befitting the Kingdom.
Under this decree, Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz was appointed the first Minister of Education. King Saud also founded the country’s first university, which bore his name—King Saud University—and opened the door widely for the establishment of schools and industrial, agricultural, commercial, and religious institutes across the Kingdom, aiming to prepare a generation equipped with knowledge to lead development in a young nation facing challenging global, regional, and economic circumstances.
Early Milestones in King Saud’s Educational Vision
One of the earliest milestones occurred 62 years ago, when the young educator Othman Al‑Saleh, who had left Najd for the Eastern Province to work in trade after leaving teaching, received a telegram from Crown Prince Saud urging him to travel urgently to Riyadh for a special mission.
Al‑Saleh packed his belongings and returned to Riyadh, where he was received by the Crown Prince. Saud entrusted him with establishing a new school whose nucleus was a small room in a corner of the Crown Prince’s palace. At the time, it served as a simple kuttāb with only a dozen students—foremost among them the Crown Prince’s sons: Musa‘ad, Mohammed, and Abdullah. The only teacher was the esteemed Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Rashid bin ‘Uwayn. The room was not a formal school: there were no grade levels, no structured curriculum, and no system of study.
Crown Prince Saud ordered the development of this school—later known as Ma‘had al‑Anjal—and opened it to all children of the nation. He continued to support and expand it after becoming King, until it became one of the most renowned schools in the country.
Education for Girls: The Birth of “Ma‘had al‑Karimāt”
King Saud’s interest in education extended beyond boys. He instructed educator Othman Al‑Saleh to open a school for girls—Ma‘had al‑Karimāt—reflecting his conviction in the importance of girls’ education, which at the time had no official presence except for modest local initiatives. This institute became the true beginning of formal girls’ education in Riyadh.
Testimonies from the Archive of Othman Al‑Saleh
Bander Al‑Saleh, son of the late educator, shared rare information and photographs from his father’s archive documenting King Saud’s role in establishing education from his years as Crown Prince through his reign as King.
He explains that his father grew up in a household of learning and religion. He earned the equivalent of a high‑school certificate from the Madrasah Al‑Ahliah in ‘Unayzah, taught there, then served as teacher and principal in Al‑Majma‘ah, and later as principal of the school for the sons of Prince Abdullah bin Abdulrahman, before becoming principal of Ma‘had al‑Anjal (now the Capital Model Institute).
The institute began with 50 students in three primary classes, taught by two teachers: Sheikh Abdulrahman bin ‘Uwayn and Ibrahim Al‑Sulayman. A third teacher, Sayyid Ali Hamed—holder of a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Cairo University—later joined. Four years after its founding, the principal requested additional teachers from Egypt. King Saud approved and instructed him to travel to Makkah to coordinate with the Ministry of Education. He returned with two teachers: Ali Ahmed Banawi (English) and Mohammed Abdul‑Samad (mathematics). The number of teachers and students continued to grow year after year.
Recognizing this expansion, King Saud envisioned transforming the institute into a model school. He sent its principal to Egypt to study modern educational systems. Fifty‑six years ago, a committee was formed by royal order to design a curriculum for the model institute. The King also approved the construction of a new building, laying its foundation stone. The modern facility opened in Muharram 1372 AH in the Al‑Nasiriyah district, where the institute still stands today.
The Beginnings of Girls’ Education in Riyadh
According to Bander Al‑Saleh’s archive, girls’ education was not entirely absent from Riyadh before the establishment of an official supervisory body. Four schools existed:
1. Mabrāt Karīmāt Jālilat al‑Malik (The King’s Daughters’ Charitable School)
Opened in Sha‘ban 1376 AH, run by three of the King’s daughters. It included kindergarten and primary levels with five classes up to grade four, enrolling 154 students. It followed the Ministry of Education curriculum with added English, needlework, sewing, and home economics. It also emphasized physical education and had a boarding section supervised by trained educators.
2. Ma‘had al‑Karimāt (The Princesses’ Institute)
Located in Al‑Nasiriyah, the King’s official residence. Despite its name, it was open to all Saudi girls. Established one year after the first school, it enrolled 250 students in eleven classes from kindergarten to intermediate level. Ten qualified teachers staffed the institute, which followed the Ministry curriculum with English taught from kindergarten.
3. Mabrāt al‑Malik Abdulaziz (Prince Talal’s School)
Located in Prince Talal’s palace in Al‑Murabba‘, founded in 1378 AH. It offered kindergarten, preparatory, and primary levels with 210 students, a school uniform, and transportation services.
4. Madrasat al‑Nahdah lil‑Banāt (Al‑Nahdah School for Girls)
A branch of Al‑Nahdah Schools for Boys, founded by a group of educated young men in Riyadh who believed that education was essential to life.