The Saudi Ministry of Education has officially announced strict and precise admission criteria for gifted students in technical schools for boys and girls for the upcoming academic year 1448 AH. The new requirements include a minimum cumulative GPA of 90% and proficiency in English as mandatory conditions with no exceptions, ensuring the recruitment of the most outstanding students.
Admission criteria and academic excellence
The ministry clarified that linking the acceptance of applicants to achieving prior academic excellence in the third year of middle school serves as a key indicator of the student's seriousness and cognitive ability. These criteria target male and female students in the first year of secondary school in five major educational districts: Riyadh, Jeddah, the Eastern Province, Qassim, and Medina.
The school regulations stressed that a student’s proficiency in English is a crucial criterion, given the nature of the intensive global curriculum that will be taught, which focuses on computer science, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, fields that require a high-level technical language for comprehension and practical application.
Strategic partnerships and advanced methodologies
These high standards are matched by the quality of the educational content offered in partnership with Tuwaiq Academy , where students receive a high-quality education in future-oriented fields. The programs offered cover vital areas such as mechatronics and advanced programming, within six main programs that include summer internships and participation in international competitions, requiring students to possess a solid scientific and linguistic foundation.
Context of the national vision and human capacity development
This step cannot be separated from the broader context of the Human Capital Development Program, one of the programs under the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which aims to cultivate a generation of globally competitive technical leaders. Expanding technical schools for gifted students and raising admission standards reflects the Kingdom's strategic direction toward investing in human capital and localizing technical knowledge rather than merely consuming it.
Through these schools, the ministry aims to bridge the gap between educational outcomes and the needs of the future job market, which relies entirely on the digital economy and innovation. Therefore, the accepted students will not merely be recipients of knowledge, but rather future leaders of major digital transformation projects in the Kingdom.
Screening mechanism and call for registration
The ministry confirmed that nominated students who pass the initial screening based on GPA and language will undergo an additional, rigorous evaluation process that includes specialized admission tests and personal interviews to measure their technical passion and leadership qualities.
In closing, the ministry called on parents and students who meet these exact conditions to seize the opportunity and register through the dedicated website, stressing that these schools are not just traditional classrooms, but rather real gateways for creating the future technological leaders in the Kingdom.
