How technology is shaping education in Saudi Arabia

During the pandemic, an estimated 1.500 million students missed school, institutions adopted smart technologies to ensure the continuity of education. This wave of digital transformation brings long-term benefits and goes beyond the mere growth of distance learning.

The importance of education in supporting the success of Saudi Vision 2030 cannot be overstated.  The transformation of the economy through discovery and innovation across a multitude of sectors ranging from digital services to life sciences and clean sustainable energy requires a well-educated workforce. 

“Saudi Arabia clearly understands this and has led the way in establishing top-notch institutions of advanced research and higher learning.  From what I see across the nation, there is an emphasis on STEM. It is recognized that these areas are the cornerstones of economic transformation. The organization that I work for King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is an example of those efforts,’ explained Jason Ross, CIO at KAUST. “There was a time when this region, and the greater Islamic world, served as the epicentre of global scientific advancement.  The famous “House of Wisdom” or Bayt Al-Hikma served as a beacon of knowledge while much of the western world descended into the depths of the Dark Ages a millennium ago.  So, the pursuit of scientific discovery and technological innovation is just part of the culture, and the reinvigoration of those educational pursuits will serve as the foundation of the Kingdom’s transformation success for decades to come.”

Thus, the digital transformation of the education sector is another important part of Vision 2030’s success, to ensure young people in the Kingdom have the right skills for the future world of work. According to PwC, Hopes and Fear survey, 57% of the respondents in Saudi Arabia are either excited or confident about the future of their children and that technology will offer a world full of possibilities for their kids.

“Educational innovation must recognize that the digital landscape has opened up so many opportunities to provide education differently.  The skills of tomorrow require agility and on-demand delivery that cannot easily fit into the traditional educational journey.  There has been an over-emphasis on ‘credentialing’ that has made higher education too expensive and in some cases irrelevant to the needs of the digital workforce. The younger generations of digital natives know how to find the right answer and learn the skills they want to acquire through an ever-expanding array of social media channels.”

“I can’t speak for the entire country but I know that the requirement to adopt a distance learning delivery model at the beginning of the pandemic for all levels of education ranging from K-12 to university studies forced a rapid deployment of technological solutions.  This shift instigated an urgent effort to train everyone on the proper use of those tools to keep students on track in their educational journey,” added Ross.

As KAUST’s CIO Ross explains he was fortunate to have already in place a comprehensive portfolio of digital capabilities that allowed us to serve our multinational workforce.  However, KAUST’s main challenge early on during the pandemic was identifying individuals who had not used some of those tools because they were only optional, but when remote working required the usage of those solutions the IT department had to respond quickly with a training plan and related documentation to get everyone up-to-speed and productive as soon as possible.  

KAUST has launched numerous initiatives over the last couple of years in recognition of the ever-changing nature of the digital landscape. One of the key initiatives that Ross had the privilege of launching is a program that focuses on pushing the boundaries of digital innovation by creating a truly unique and immersive “Smart City” experience within the KAUST community. This effort seeks to combine existing technologies with emerging capabilities that are being developed by our researchers and students to curate experiences that can be piloted in our community, demonstrating that innovation is fundamental to the KAUST ethos.  

“KAUST Smart program is a cross-functional initiative that engages the entire KAUST organization and community through a dedicated team that works with various KAUST departments to identify opportunities for enhanced digital experiences and drives those efforts to achieve meaningful outcomes. KAUST Smart partners with companies and organizations to develop, test, and pilot technologies and to take advantage of our unique city environment. We do this through design-thinking workshops, co-development hackathons, prototype construction, experimentations, and eventually the deployment of technologies and solutions in a real-world operational setting throughout various parts of the KAUST community.”