Saudi Arabia’s education opportunity: Why British schools need to think beyond the brand

Originally featured in International Schools Today

For some time, conversations about international expansion for British schools have centred on established markets. Saudi Arabia is different, it is increasingly a market that governing bodies and executive teams are actively exploring, rather than simply watching from the sidelines. For British schools considering international growth, Saudi Arabia deserves serious attention – but also a more considered conversation than simply describing it as the “next big market”.

There are good reasons for the change; Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is transforming the Kingdom at a pace and scale that can be difficult to appreciate from outside. Education sits at the heart of that transformation, with the Human Capability Development agenda focused on improving educational outcomes, developing skills, increasing private-sector participation and building an education system capable of supporting a rapidly diversifying economy.

The UK is already part of that story, with the UK and Saudi governments reporting last year that nine British schools had been licensed in the Kingdom, alongside two British universities licensed to establish branch campuses. The Saudi Ministry of Education has also continued to promote the expansion of British schools and universities as part of its investment agenda and its wider relationship with the UK.

So what has led to this change in pace, and why should British schools be developing a better understanding of the Saudi Arabia market potential?

Regulatory Landscape

The timing is particularly key because Saudi Arabia has just introduced a new General Education Law, approved by Royal Decree in July 2026. The law provides a comprehensive framework for education through to the end of Grade 12, and is designed to strengthen governance, improve educational quality and regulate the role of the private and non-profit sectors in line with Vision 2030.

For international schools, the implications are significant. The framework provides greater clarity around private education, licensing, international curricula and quality assurance. Private schools will be expected to secure appropriate accreditation, while international curricula will operate alongside requirements relating to Saudi national identity.

That matters because regulatory clarity is one of the questions boards need to answer before committing to international expansion. In our own conversations with international education leaders, those questions come up repeatedly: how do we find the right partner; how do we recruit locally and internationally; and, perhaps most importantly, how do we ensure that the educational standards and values associated with the home school genuinely translate into the Saudi context? The new law will not remove all of those questions, nor should it. But greater regulatory clarity is an important part of creating confidence for serious education providers.

What we heard from the Ministry

This became particularly tangible during our recent visit to Saudi Arabia and our conversations with the Ministry of Education.

What struck me most was that the ambition is not simply to attract more international school names. The conversation is much wider than that – there is a clear desire for Saudi Arabia to develop a leading education ecosystem: one that attracts high-quality international institutions and leaders, develops Saudi talent, encourages investment and innovation, raises standards and ultimately contributes to the Kingdom’s wider social and economic ambitions.

That distinction matters for British schools. The opportunity is not simply to export a successful UK school into a new geography. The strongest partnerships will be those where schools understand what Saudi Arabia is trying to achieve and can articulate how their educational philosophy, expertise and leadership can contribute to it.

The Ministry’s messaging reinforces this direction. In January, the Minister of Education, HE Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, described an ambition to develop education as an economic sector and a platform for national production, supported by measures designed to increase participation from the private and non-profit sectors. That is a rather different proposition from opening an overseas campus simply because there is an expatriate market available to fill it.

So, why British schools?

British education carries considerable international currency, and Saudi Arabia has been explicit about the value it places on UK education expertise. But the opportunity is not simply about the strength of the British school brand.

There is also already evidence of a growing British school community in the Kingdom. The UK Department for Education’s current British Schools Overseas records include schools such as Reigate Grammar School Riyadh, alongside longer-established British schools in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran.

But I don’t think the opportunity is restricted to the most famous names in British education. Saudi Arabia needs variety, not simply more versions of the same premium British school. Different cities, communities and developments will require different educational propositions and price points. There will be opportunities for premium schools, but equally for schools with particular strengths in STEM, innovation, inclusion, early years, sport, vocational pathways, SEND, and other areas that align with the Kingdom’s priorities.

The question should therefore be less “Is our brand prestigious enough for Saudi Arabia?” and more “What can our school genuinely contribute?” That is a healthier starting point for international expansion.

Why now?

There is another practical reason we are seeing increased interest: the opportunity is becoming more visible. Major developments are creating new communities, international businesses are establishing regional operations, foreign investment is being encouraged and education itself is increasingly being positioned as an investment opportunity.

Combined with growing UK-Saudi cooperation in education, skills and investment, the result is a market that is becoming harder for international schools to ignore. Conversations that might have been exploratory three years ago are becoming much more substantive.

But entering Saudi Arabia is not without complexity

It is important that we don’t underestimate the challenges. Saudi Arabia is a fast-moving market and international expansion brings significant reputational, financial and operational risk wherever it takes place.

Selecting the right local partner is critical, and so too is understanding the regulatory environment, the commercial model, governance arrangements and the respective responsibilities of the British school and its operator. Getting those decisions right requires more than a strong commercial model, tt requires the right partnerships and leadership.

Opening an international school is fundamentally different from leading an established UK independent school. Founding leaders need to understand the DNA of the originating school, while having the cultural intelligence, and adaptability to build something relevant to a different community. They need to be able to work confidently with investors, regulators, parents and government stakeholders while simultaneously recruiting a team, establishing safeguarding and educational standards, and creating a school culture from the ground up. The leadership appointment is therefore not simply about finding someone who can run a good school, it is about finding someone who can build one.

International schools cannot simply replicate their UK model overseas. Saudi Arabia is rightly clear about the importance of national identity within education. The new law maintains requirements around national identity subjects while creating space for international curricula. For British schools, preserving the essence of their educational philosophy while respecting and embracing Saudi culture will be one of the most important tests of whether a partnership succeeds.

From market entry to genuine partnership

Perhaps this is where the conversation about Saudi Arabia needs to evolve. There is undoubtedly a commercial opportunity, and British schools should acknowledge that. International expansion can diversify income, strengthen a school’s global profile and create extraordinary opportunities for pupils and staff. But an education partnership has to be about more than licensing a crest and a name.

The schools that succeed in Saudi Arabia over the next decade are likely to be those prepared to invest intellectual as well as financial capital: sharing expertise, developing leaders, creating meaningful relationships with Saudi educators and ensuring that the quality promised by the brand is genuinely experienced by pupils.

Our conversations with schools suggest that interest in Saudi Arabia is exceptionally high, but confidence around entry routes, regulation, partnerships and operating models remains a barrier for some organisations.

That caution is not necessarily a bad thing. Schools should ask difficult questions before entering any international market. Governing bodies have a responsibility to understand why they are expanding, who they are partnering with and what success will look like beyond financial return.

A market worth understanding

I came away from our recent visit convinced that Saudi Arabia should be part of the international conversation for British education. Not because every British school should open there – they shouldn’t – but because something significant is happening.

Vision 2030, the new General Education Law, increasing private-sector participation and a strengthening UK-Saudi education relationship are creating conditions in which international education can play a meaningful role in the Kingdom’s next stage of development.

And what was particularly clear from our conversations with the Ministry of Education was the scale of the ambition. Saudi Arabia does not simply want to participate in the international education market. It wants to develop a leading education ecosystem.

For British schools, that presents both an opportunity and a responsibility. The question is no longer simply whether Saudi Arabia is an emerging market for British education. It is whether British schools are prepared to understand the market deeply enough, choose their partners carefully enough and commit for long enough to become a meaningful part of what Saudi Arabia is building.

For international schools considering Saudi Arabia, the most important decisions are often made well before a school opens its doors. Understanding the market, testing the partnership model and identifying the right leadership should all happen early. If your organisation is exploring what a successful Saudi strategy could look like, we’d be pleased to share our insights, perspectives and experiences – drop Hayley Mintern a line at hayley.mintern@andersonquigley.com.