RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has introduced major revisions to its national school curriculum. The changes remove long-standing anti-Israel language, references to Palestine from several regional maps, and negative descriptions of LGBTQ+ groups.
The educational updates form part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 initiative. The programme aims to modernize the Kingdom’s institutions and align school curricula with a more moderate state identity.
Major Changes to Regional Maps and Geopolitics
Independent curriculum monitoring reports highlight major changes in social studies and history textbooks.
- Removal of ‘Palestine’ from Maps: School maps no longer show the word “Palestine” in areas covering internationally recognized Israeli territory. The regions now remain unnamed. However, the curriculum does not officially label them as “Israel.”
- Softening of Rhetoric: Grade 11 history textbooks now use “the Israeli occupation” instead of the long-used phrase “the Zionist enemy.”
- Deletion of Religious Claims: Arabic language courses no longer include sentences declaring that Muslims will never give up control of Jerusalem.
Revision of Religious and Social Content
The reforms also change how textbooks discuss social issues and other religious groups.
- Removal of Anti-LGBTQ+ Lessons: A Grade 11 Islamic studies textbook no longer contains a section that previously described homosexuality as a “sexual perversion.” The curriculum also removes questions asking students to justify state bans on LGBTQ+ groups.
- Promotion of Religious Coexistence: The revised textbooks remove passages that historically criticized Jews and Christians or used hostile anti-Semitic framing. New lessons instead emphasize historical coexistence and cooperation between the early Islamic state and non-Muslim communities.
Shift Toward National Identity
The Ministry of Education, under the direction of the newly formed General Education Council, has shifted the focus of national textbooks away from pan-Islamic politics.
The updated curriculum now places greater emphasis on pre-Islamic Saudi history and local cultural heritage. It also highlights loyalty to the modern Saudi state rather than regional religious conflicts.
The Ministry of Education confirms that these structural updates will continue across primary and secondary grade levels. The changes form part of the broader phase of state-led educational modernization.
