Saudi Ministry of Education data for 2025 reveals that the total number of elementary school students in private schools (boys) reached 309,412 students across 16 administrative regions in the Kingdom — Riyadh leading by a significant margin.
Riyadh Accounts for 42% of Total Students
Riyadh region topped the list with 129,909 students — equivalent to 42% of all private elementary school students in the Kingdom. Jeddah came second with 51,672 students, followed by the Eastern Region with 45,382 students.
One-Third of Students Are Non-Saudi
One of the most notable findings is that 102,545 non-Saudi students represent 33% of all private school students — a figure that reflects the population density of expatriates and their families in major cities.
Regional Ranking by Total Students
| Rank | Region | Saudi | Non-Saudi | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riyadh | 83,379 | 46,530 | 129,909 |
| 2 | Jeddah | 30,295 | 21,377 | 51,672 |
| 3 | Eastern Region | 27,825 | 17,557 | 45,382 |
| 4 | Madinah | 9,294 | 3,360 | 12,654 |
| 5 | Makkah | 8,558 | 2,837 | 11,395 |
| 6 | Tabuk | 7,531 | 1,206 | 8,737 |
| 7 | Asir | 6,910 | 1,861 | 8,771 |
| 8 | Al-Jouf | 5,882 | 749 | 6,631 |
| 9 | Taif | 5,847 | 1,081 | 6,928 |
| 10 | Al-Qassim | 4,628 | 1,756 | 6,384 |
| 11 | Al-Ahsa | 4,175 | 1,422 | 5,597 |
| 12 | Najran | 3,418 | 600 | 4,018 |
| 13 | Hail | 3,340 | 871 | 4,211 |
| 14 | Jazan | 2,992 | 818 | 3,810 |
| 15 | Northern Borders | 2,653 | 398 | 3,051 |
| 16 | Al-Baha | 140 | 122 | 262 |
Key Observations
Major cities dominate: Riyadh, Jeddah, and the Eastern Region together account for 73% of all students.
Al-Baha the lowest: Al-Baha recorded the lowest number with just 262 students.
Notable non-Saudi ratio in Jeddah: Non-Saudis make up 41% of private school students in Jeddah.
Source: Saudi Ministry of Education — Open data via data.gov.sa | Toly analyzes official data and presents it in plain language.
