The International Baccalaureate (IB) has met with representatives of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education to discuss opportunities to strengthen strategic collaboration and support the quality, sustainability and growth of IB programmes across the Kingdom.
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Education in Riyadh on 4 October, brought together representatives from the Ministry and the IB to explore how closer cooperation could support national education priorities and provide high-quality learning opportunities for students across Saudi Arabia.
Discussions highlighted the alignment between the IB’s educational approach and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals, including developing critical thinking, multilingualism, innovation, career readiness and a strong sense of national identity, while preparing young people to contribute to an increasingly interconnected world.
The meeting also explored opportunities to strengthen school quality and continuous improvement through programme standards, quality assurance, professional learning for educators and school leaders, and long-term capacity-building across the education system. Both parties discussed developing a more structured partnership framework to support communication, engagement with IB schools and responsible programme growth while maintaining high standards of implementation.
Haif Bannayan, Director for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Canada at the IB, said: “This meeting marks an important opportunity to strengthen our collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education. By building a shared understanding of national priorities and the IB’s experience working with education systems worldwide, we can explore how IB programmes can contribute to high-quality learning and support the Kingdom’s educational ambitions.”
The meeting forms part of the IB’s wider engagement with education systems across the Middle East. In Jordan, the Diploma Programme (DP) is set to be introduced across all 13 King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence from 2028, extending IB education into the country’s public school system.
In Bahrain, the IB is working with the Ministry of Education to support implementation of the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in eight government-school candidate schools. This includes professional development and dedicated support for Ministry staff and schools as they prepare to implement the programme. The Ministry’s plans also include a subsequent phase for the Diploma Programme.
Through continued dialogue, professional learning and collaboration with ministries, the IB aims to support education systems in delivering high-quality programmes that respond to national priorities while connecting students with a global learning community.
 has met with representatives of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education to discuss opportunities to strengthen strategic collaboration and support the quality, sustainability and growth of IB programmes across the Kingdom.){kind=icon}